According to the latest data from research institution Counterpoint, despite a noticeable cooling in the Chinese smartphone market in January, Apple has "outperformed the industry" in this largest smartphone market in the world: iPhone sales increased by 8% year-on-year, making it the only major brand to achieve positive growth.
Market Under Pressure: Sales Down 23% Year-on-Year, Rhythm Changes Amplify Fluctuations
Counterpoint pointed out that overall smartphone sales in China fell by 23% year-on-year in January. The report attributes this decline primarily to two factors: the high base of the same period last year, and adjustments in the timing and pace of Chinese New Year promotions, making demand appear more "misaligned" on a monthly basis.
Competitive Landscape: Huawei Still Leads but Declines, Xiaomi's Drop Significant
From a brand perspective, Huawei still holds the leading position, but its January sales decreased by 27% year-on-year, with a market share of approximately 19%. Counterpoint also mentioned that the Huawei Nova series performed weaker than last year, although the Mate 80 base model became its best-selling device of the month. Meanwhile, most domestic brands recorded double-digit declines, with Xiaomi experiencing the largest drop, down 36% year-on-year.
Apple's "Grasp" Against the Trend: iPhone 17 Momentum + Subsidy Support
Apple's growth is attributed to the continued strong momentum of the iPhone 17 series, propelling the company to achieve its highest January market share in nearly five years. Notably, the basic version of the iPhone 17 was included in government subsidies, enhancing its cost-effectiveness and driving a 9% month-on-month increase in sales. Counterpoint also pointed out that the current price reductions for the iPhone 17 series remain relatively limited, which means Apple could still optimize its strategy through a rebalance between price and profit margins before the next generation of models is released.
