Apple Smartphone Shipments in China Soar by 52% in April

Apple smartphone shipments in China were 52% higher in April than a year ago, extending a rebound seen in the previous month, according to data from a research firm affiliated with the Chinese government. 

Shipments of foreign-branded phones in China increased by 52% in April to 3.495 million units from 2.301 million a year earlier, data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed on Tuesday.

Apple Dominance in the Foreign Phone Market:

Although the data did not mention Apple, the company is the dominant foreign phone maker in China’s smartphone-dominated market. This suggests that the increase in foreign-branded shipments can be attributed to Apple’s performance.

Recovery After a Weak Start to the Year:

The big increase follows a weak performance earlier this year in the world’s biggest smartphone market, as the U.S. tech giant faces intensifying competition in the high-end market from local rivals such as Huawei. 

Apple’s shipments in China increased by 12% in March, marking a significant improvement from the first two months of 2024, when the company experienced a 37% slump in sales.

Boost from Aggressive Discounting Campaign:

Sales may see a further boost in May, as Apple launched an aggressive discounting campaign this month on its official Tmall site in China, offering discounts of up to 2,300 yuan ($318) on select iPhone models. 

The price reduction, double the size of the discount it offered in February, comes after Huawei introduced its new series of high-end smartphones, the Pura 70, last month, following the launch of the Mate 60 last August.

Huawei’s Competitive Strategy:

Huawei overtook Apple in the first quarter as China’s No.2 smartphone vendor. It is ramping up its marketing campaign by opening more flagship stores and adding more retail distributors. Huawei spinoff Honor holds the top spot.

Data from the CAICT showed that overall smartphone sales in China increased by 25.5% to 22.7 million units in April.