Apple tops China's smartphone market for first time ever

IDC reports that Apple's iPhone is the best-selling smartphone in China, achieving a record high market share of 17.3% in 2023, although the market has contracted.

Previous reports from Counterpoint Research have said that the iPhone 13 range topped China's chart in 2022, and Apple was the country's largest smartphone manufacturer in 2021.

However, now IDC is saying that now "Apple became the leading smartphone company in China for the first time with record high market share of 17.3% in 2023." It comes as the overall smartphone shipments in China declined 5% compared to the previous year.

"Apple's climb to the top spot in 2023, especially in light of renewed competition from Huawei and the soft spending sentiment, marks a tremendous success for Apple," said IDC China senior research analyst Arthur Guo. "Apple achieved this thanks to timely price promotions in its third-party channels, which stimulated demand."

China Smartphone Market, Top 5 Companies, 2023 and 2022 Market Share and Year- Over-Year Growth (Source: IDC)

IDC says that 271.3 million smartphones were sold in China in 2023. This was reportedly the lowest figure in a decade, which IDC ascribes to a soft economic recovery and weak consumer interest.

While the market declined 5% for 2023, IDC reports that it is recovering. The Q4 2023 show a growth of 1.2%, following ten consecutive quarters of year-over-year decline.

Separately, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the Q3 2023 figures had declined despite the launch of the iPhone 15 range in September 2023.