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Apple’s flagship store in Shanghai, China, on October 15, 2024.
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Sales of foreign phone brands in China fell in November, according to official data released on Friday, underscoring further pressure on an applethe largest international phone supplier in the country.
China shipped 3.04 million foreign mobile phones in November, according to CNBC estimates based on data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).
That’s a 47.4% drop from November 2023 and a 51% drop from last October.
CAICT does not break down the figures by individual brands, but Apple accounts for the majority of overseas mobile phone shipments to China, while rivals such as Samsung account for only a small portion of the market.
The figures show the growing pressure Apple is feeling in the world’s largest smartphone market as it faces growing competition from domestic brands.
Huawei, for example – whose phone business was crippled by US sanctions – saw a revival in late 2023 and has aggressively launched high-end smartphones in China that have turned out to be popular with local buyers.
Huawei’s growth has far outpaced Apple in the third quarter of last year, according to the latest data from the research company IDC.
Apple is hoping its iPhone 16 series, launched in September, will help the company regain momentum in China as the Cupertino, California-based tech giant promises a host of new AI features through its Apple Intelligence software.
However, Apple Intelligence is not yet available in China due to complicated rules around AI in art the country
At the same time, some of Apple’s internal competitors were touting its own artificial intelligence features which are now available on devices.
In the show about how important China is to the iPhone giant, Apple CEO Tim Cook repeatedly visited the country last year in an attempt strengthen partnerships for Apple Intelligence with local Chinese firms.
In an attempt to spur interest in the iPhone 16, Apple will start discounts for the device on Saturday as part of the Lunar New Year holiday promotion.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
