Apple’s iPhone shipments in China plunged by 33% in February when compared to the same month in 2023, according to government figures (Via Bloomberg).
China’s Academy of Information and Communications Technology reported that foreign brands shipped around 2.4 million smartphones last month. Apple accounts for the vast majority of those shipments.
The decline marks the third consecutive month of lower iPhone shipments. January iPhone shipments amounted to some 5.5 million units in China, approximately 39% fewer handsets than the same time last year. In December, the company saw a 30% year-on-year decline in Chinese iPhone shipments.
Apple is facing a true struggle to stem falling iPhone sales in China. The company’s 24% year-on-year decline in 2023 is projected to deepen through 2024. Apple resellers have focused on discounts as a way to move iPhone stock, while Apple made rare price reductions on the iPhone on its website ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
Unfortunately for Apple, the Chinese government last year banned iPhones from the offices of multiple government agencies and state companies.
The Cupertino firm is also faced with a strong interest in Huawei’s latest home-grown Mate 60 lineup, which was released in September just weeks before the iPhone 15 launched.
Chinese consumers are gravitating towards Android smartphones boasting generative AI features and the trend is expected to continue throughout 2024.
