Apple saw its Q1 2025 iPhone shipments in China drop by 9% compared to one year earlier, despite the rest of the major smartphone vendors in the country enjoying a healthy increase in sales, according to data from research firm IDC.
iPhone shipments fell to 9.8 million units, giving Apple a market share of 13.7%, down from 17.4% in the previous quarter. This marks seven straight quarters of decline for iPhone sales.
While Apple suffered another decline in iPhone sales, local iPhone makers enjoyed a health increase in sales. Market leader Xiaomi saw its shipments rise 40% to 13.3 million units. Industry-wide, shipments rose by 3.3%.
IDC says Apple’s premium pricing structure blocked the Cupertino company from benefiting from new government subsidies were implemented at the start of the year, fueling growth during the first quarter.
The subsidies offer buyers of electronics a 15% refund of products that are priced under 6,000 yuan ($820). Apple’s base iPhone 16 starts at 5,999 yuan, meaning only the base model is eligible for the subsidies.
