Sales of Apple iPhone 15 in China have been found to have decreased by 6% compared to the previous series. During the same period, competitor Huawei's new product sales showed remarkable growth.
Bloomberg reported on the 30th (local time), citing data from market research firm GfK, that Apple’s latest iPhone series, the iPhone 15, saw a 6% decline in sales during the first month after its release (September 22) compared to the previous year. Mobile market research firm IDC estimated that Apple’s shipments in the third quarter decreased by 4%, and both organizations analyzed that the main reason was the market interest in Huawei’s new products after their launch.
According to GfK, Huawei’s latest smartphone model, the Mate60 series, which was released earlier, recorded sales of 1.5 million units within one month of launch. This figure is more than double compared to the previous year’s new product launch. There is also speculation that the Chinese government’s ban on iPhone use during work hours in some institutions and state-owned enterprises may have affected sales.
Hayden Hou, GfK’s senior analyst in China, stated, “Against the backdrop of Huawei’s strong growth, Apple iPhone sales recorded a 6% decline,” and evaluated that “the Huawei Mate60 series will continue to maintain strong sales momentum.” Huawei, headquartered in Shenzhen, had launched the Mate60 series abruptly ahead of the iPhone’s new product release.
The iPhone 15 series entered discount sales just one month after its release, raising concerns that sales might not meet expectations. Local e-commerce platform Taobao began selling the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus at discounts of about 800 to 900 yuan (approximately 150,000 to 170,000 KRW) off the official retail price. On another shopping site, Pinduoduo, the iPhone 15 was being sold for 5,198 yuan (about 960,000 KRW), which is 801 yuan lower than the retail price.
Counterpoint estimated that despite supply restrictions due to U.S. regulations, Huawei’s Mate60 Pro sales this year would reach between 5 million and 6 million units. Considering that Huawei sold about 22 million smartphones in total last year, this is a remarkable achievement.
China’s business slump is expected to impact Apple’s global performance as well. China accounts for about 20% of Apple’s revenue, ranking third after the U.S. and Europe. According to local media such as Xinhua News Agency, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently visited China, touring local Apple Stores and major suppliers, and subsequently met with Wang Wentao, China’s Minister of Commerce, and Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of the State Council, on the 18th and 19th. This visit marks Tim Cook’s second trip to China this year and his first in about seven months since March.
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