Last year, Apple came in first place in global smartphone shipments, despite not being in the top five in the world’s second most populous nation, China. This is largely due to the fact that China is the largest smartphone market in the world. On the other hand, Samsung has been unable to crack the region, failing to earn a spot among the five largest smartphone vendors in both Q4 2023 and the entire year.
The gap between Apple and other top brands in China is minimal, making it even more impressive that Apple is now the most popular type of smartphone in the country. Even though Huawei did not finish the year in the top five in China, it did manage to surpass Oppo and Xiaomi in Q4 with a remarkable 36.2 percent year-on-year boost in sales. Apple’s newfound supremacy may be challenged soon by companies such as Huawei, which has witnessed significant progress in recent years.
China’s smartphone sales totaled 271.3 million in 2023, marking a 5 percent decline from the previous year. However, the region showed a slight but notable growth of 1.2 percent in the October-December 2023 timeframe, giving hope for significant growth in shipments throughout 2024.
Overall, Apple’s achievement of leading the Chinese smartphone market in 2023 is significant and will undoubtedly remain one for the ages. Looking ahead, Apple might need a bit of luck, an incredibly successful iPhone 16 family, and possibly a budget-friendly new iPhone SE to maintain its leading position in the highly competitive Chinese market.
