Apple iPhone Sales In China Plummet As Huawei Soars (bbc.com) 33
Huawei is back from the dead after recording a sales jump of 64% in the first six weeks of 2024 compared to a year earlier. Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone sales in China fell by 24% during the same period. The BBC reports: Aside from a resurgence of Huawei sales at the more expensive end of the Chinese phone market, Apple was also "squeezed in the middle on aggressive pricing from the likes of Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi," Counterpoint Research's Mengmeng Zhang wrote. China, which is one of Apple's biggest markets, also saw overall smartphone sales shrink by 7% in the same period, the report said. Huawei struggled for years due to US sanctions but its sales surged after releasing its Mate 60 series of 5G smartphones in August. It came as a major surprise as the Chinese firm was cut off from key chips and technology required for 5G mobile internet.
Honor, which is the smartphone brand spun off from Huawei in 2020, was the only other top-five brand to see sales increase in China during the period, according to the report. Sales of Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo also fell in the first six weeks of the year, Counterpoint said. Its report also said Apple's share of the Chinese smartphone market dropped to 15.7% from 19% last year, putting it in fourth place as it fell from the number two spot. Meanwhile, Huawei rose to second place as its market share grew to 16.5% from 9.4% a year earlier. Despite its sales falling by 15% over the last year, Vivo remained China's top-selling smartphone maker, Counterpoint said.
Honor, which is the smartphone brand spun off from Huawei in 2020, was the only other top-five brand to see sales increase in China during the period, according to the report. Sales of Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo also fell in the first six weeks of the year, Counterpoint said. Its report also said Apple's share of the Chinese smartphone market dropped to 15.7% from 19% last year, putting it in fourth place as it fell from the number two spot. Meanwhile, Huawei rose to second place as its market share grew to 16.5% from 9.4% a year earlier. Despite its sales falling by 15% over the last year, Vivo remained China's top-selling smartphone maker, Counterpoint said.
Why would anyone in China buy an iPhone? (Score:1)
They're overpriced and not that good. The only really good feature they have is a fast SoC. Plus they aren't going to be a status symbol over there for much longer. Eventually owning an iPhone will probably lower your social credit score over there (if it doesn't already).
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They're not a status symbol anywhere
Actually they are, they identify you as a douchebag
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They're not a status symbol anywhere
Actually they are, they identify you as a douchebag
Yeah, & as we know, the USA worships douche-bags... & with "friends" like them, who needs enemas?
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They're not a status symbol anywhere
Actually they are, they identify you as a douchebag
Erm... not disagreeing with you but I need to point out being a douchebag isn't a status.
Re: Rely on China sales at your own risk. (Score:4, Interesting)
Rofl. This is entirely due to usa sanctions.
The only significant benefit of iPhone was the fashion factor. The cast majority of usage in China is on apps that provide a meta-platform so all Apple s/w is largely irrelevant, and it is quite easy to switch.
Actually, the functionality on Apple versions of some of these meta-platforms isn't as good as HarmonyOS (or Android). For example, the games on alipay aren't as varied. I don't know why that is, but I'm assured it's the case.
Re: Rely on China sales at your own risk. (Score:1)
Oh, I just thought of a plausible reason for the missing games on alipay on iPhone.
Perhaps it is because they use web technologies and have to use the safari browser engine which is kind of weak and buggy, due to lack of competition on the iOS platform.
Maybe China will follow the EU and force Apple to allow other browser engines.
PWAs aren't a thin China at all, because they do the same thing in other ways (eg miniprograms), which is how they should be done in the EU too - ie stop making PWAs into native app
Fear and social credit score... (Score:1, Insightful)
One item is that China has a social credit score, where buying a domestic brand can mean the difference between getting the ability to get a passport or even board a train. People are not going to put leg irons on their ankles when government tells them to buy Chinese stuff.
I don't consider this Huawei's doing. It is just fear of the government and having one's ability to do stuff be at jeopardy if one buys the wrong device.
Re: Fear and social credit score... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sorry but that is nonsense. It's literally false.
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BTW, the USA leads the world in putting people in prison both in terms of percentage of population & in sheer numbers. Then there's regular extra-judicial executions by police that are rarely, if ever, held accountable. Then there's mass shootings.
I'd rather go & work in China than the USA. I hear the cities are pretty safe & civilised (I regularly meet & talk to people visiting from China & ask them about their daily lives there). I know Chinese peop
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Depends on the city. Many have air problems.
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I was referring to Chinese cities like Beijing.
No idea about other cities.
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Give them an inch (Score:2)
All that ass kissing (Score:1, Insightful)
Re: All that ass kissing (Score:1)
Maybe but the fault lies with the US government, so maybe they'll petition for less interference from them.
Who's this supposed to impress? (Score:4, Insightful)
Sorry, you just can't believe any of these numbers. Huawei claims they're not state-owned. Do you believe them?
Re: Who's this supposed to impress? (Score:1)
Why wouldn't we believe them? Trust me bro?
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It's hardly surprising at all.
Huawei phones are very good, and better suited to the Chinese market than iPhones. For example, their camera app has extensive "beauty" features that automatically photoshop your face, lighten your skin etc. Apple decided to remove those because they are known to cause self image issues.
Meanwhile, anti-US sentiment is growing among Chinese consumers. There was a big scare when the US was talking about blocking Chinese apps, because a lot of Chinese people use WeChat to keep in
Android zealots are.. (Score:1)
Buy Local (Score:2)
Good for the Chinese.
We should all support local businesses when possible. If there is an equivalent option made and sold by your neighbors you should prefer it over a foreign made option shipped from far away with profits going to distant strangers.
Globalism is a race to the bottom. It is an environmental disaster, and it depresses local wages. The primary benefits go to feeding the stock market demand for ever increasing (short-term) profits. It is an unsustainable disaster.
SOC made with ASML machines (Score:2)
Luckily for SMIC, they were able to buy large amounts of Western fabrication machines before the world became aware of Xi's true face. This is not a technology they can just copy - even ASML can only achieve this with the collaboration of several different countries on hardware and software. Huawei will be perpetually stuck in pre-2019 technology.