Apple became The largest smartphone supplier in China with the highest market share on record

According to data released by research firm Counterpoint Research on Wednesday, Apple became China's largest smartphone supplier for the first time since 2015, with a record market share in China.

For the first time since the fourth quarter of 2015, the iPhone gained the highest market share ever, at 23 percent, the data shows. In 2019, Apple warned of market challenges in China and claimed it had plans to recover its success in China. Now, Counterpoint Research says, Apple has not only become The largest smartphone brand in China, but it has also broken its own market share record in China.

Zhang Mengmeng, research analyst at Counterpoint, said: "Apple's outstanding performance is driven by its pricing strategy and the mix obtained from Huawei's premium base. After the iPhone 13 was released in September last year, Apple rose to the top spot in the Chinese market. After that, for most of the fourth quarter, it remained in the lead. "

"It led the way in success due to the relatively low starting price of the new iPhone 13 when it was released in China, as well as new cameras and 5G features, in addition, Apple's main rival in the high-end market, Huawei, faced a decline in sales due to continued U.S. sanctions."

Huawei is Apple's main competitor in the high-end market. Apple previously became China's best-selling phone brand in 2015, when Counterpoint called "the super cycle of the iPhone 6 is its pinnacle." The iPhone 6 appeals to Chinese consumers with its large screen.

However, although Apple has achieved the highest market share in China, the overall market conditions have also declined significantly. According to Counterpoint, smartphone sales in China fell 9 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of decline.

As consumers postpone the purchase of new mobile devices, the extension of the upgrade cycle has created a persistent dilemma for Chinese smartphone brands looking to maintain growth at home.

At the same time, global shortages of chips and components have unnerved the entire electronics industry, affecting pricing and profit margins for all hardware manufacturers.

For the fourth quarter of 2021, Counterpoint reported that Apple had a 23 percent share, followed by Vivo at 19 percent. Then OPPO had 17 percent, and Honor, which was split from Huawei, came in third with 15 percent. Xiaomi faced a severe shortage of accessories, slowing penetration of offline channels and competition from Honor, ranking fifth in the quarter.

In the past year, Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi have all launched their ownly developed chipsets to show their progress in semiconductors. OPPO and Honor have launched a foldable flagship model with a more mature design and highly customizable software, especially for Chinese users. Foldability brings a new form factor to the design of smartphones. As foldable phones become cheaper, they may prompt some users to upgrade their devices.