Apple Returns To Top 5 Smartphone Ranks In China, Amid Tim Cook Visit

Tom Jowitt,
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Apple's iPhone 16. Image credit: Apple

In Q3 Apple rejoins ranks of top five smartphone makers in China, as government welcomes visit by CEO Tim Cook

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Apple has rejoined the ranks of the top five smartphone vendors in mainland China, in some welcome news for CEO Tim Cook as he visits the communist nation.

Market researcher IDC in its ‘Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker‘ said that China smartphone shipments grew 3.2 percent year over year (YoY) to 68.8 million units in 3Q24.

This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of expansion, fuelled by a surge in device upgrades driven by sustained pent-up demand, stated the researcher.

IDC added that “Apple re-enters the Top 5 smartphone companies at second place with the launch of its new iPhone 16 series.”

Apple's iPhone 16. Image credit: Apple
Image credit: Apple

Apple in China

It comes after market researcher Counterpoint Research last week had revealed that sales of Apple’s iPhone 16 have gotten off to a strong start in China – in an encouraging sign of momentum for Apple in that important market.

In July Canalys had found that Apple (with the iPhone 15) had dropped out of the top five in the mainland China smartphone market in the second quarter, behind local smartphone brands, even as the market grew 10 percent year-on-year, with shipments exceeding 70 million units.

Research firm CINNO meanwhile found that Huawei had surpassed Apple in smartphone shipments in mainland China in August for the first time in 46 months, or nearly four years.

But then both Apple and Huawei’s latest smartphones went on sale in China on 20 September – and Apple came to market with the new iPhone 16, which from next week will feature Apple Intelligence (for the US market) via the iOS 18 update.

Top five

Now according to IDC, Apple has re-entered the Top 5 smartphone companies at second place with the launch of its new iPhone 16 series.

It said that initial sales figures are on par with its predecessor, and IDC anticipates that upcoming promotions and the anticipated launch of Apple Intelligence will drive future demand.

“A significant wave of device upgrades is propelling the sustained recovery of the Chinese smartphone market,” said Arthur Guo, senior research analyst in Client System Research for IDC China. “Despite ongoing economic challenges, consumers are highly motivated to purchase new smartphones after three years of pent-up demand.”

IDC ranked the top five smartphone makers as follows: vivo grew 21.5 percent y-o-y to a 18.6 percent market share; Apple came in second after negative (-0.3 percent) growth to sit at 15,6 percent market share; Huawei was third after growing 42 percent y-o-y to 15.3 percent; Xiaomi was fourth growing 12.8 percent y-o-y to 14.8 percent; and Honor was fifth after grwoth slipped 22.5 percent leaving it with a 14.6 percent market share.

IDC noted that Huawei, which later year launched the Mate 60 smartphone that contained a surprisingly advanced chip, and more recently launched the Mate XT double-hinged, or tri-fold, smartphone on the same day as Apple launched its iPhone 16 range.

Huawei's Mate XT tri-fold smartphone. Image credit: Huawei
Image credit: Huawei

IDC feels the launch of the world’s first tri-foldable phone is expected to further drive the foldable market development.

Tim Cook visit

Meanwhile CEO Tim Cook has been welcomed during a visit to China this week – his second visit to China in 2024.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook at WWDC 2020. Image credit: Apple
Apple chief executive Tim Cook at WWDC 2020. Image credit: Apple

On Wednesday Cook reportedly met with China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong as well as the heads of some local companies, including China Mobile and Weibo.

Cook reportedly said at a meeting with the Chinese government in Beijing that Apple will increase investment in China and thereby contribute to supply chain development.

Now Reuters has quoted China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao as telling Tim Cook that Apple is welcome to continue deepening its presence in the Chinese market during a meeting on Friday.

China is willing to help return Sino-U.S. economic and trade ties to a healthy and stable track of development through regular exchanges between government and enterprises, Wang reportedly said.

China will further optimise the business environment and continue to provide quality services for foreign enterprises, Wang said, but also told Cook that the highlighting of national security “is not conducive to normal economic and trade exchanges.”

During a Wednesday visit to the offices of Chinese social media giant Weibo, Cook reportedly said that Apple hopes to bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese consumers as soon as possible, but that there are strict regulatory processes it must get through.