That is starting to show cracks now and they deserve it. I’m happy this happens. This pushes Apple to innovate and offer better products. Consumers will benefit except Timmy.
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Apple Falls to Third Place in China's Smartphone Market Amid Sales Decline
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Probably the worst rebuttal to an objectively valid criticism based on how many people agreed.
At the end I, like most here, want Apple to succeed and definitely will be updating if an exciting product comes up.
But is there a source that shows the majority of these phones from other manufactures are flagship devices? The article talks overall sales which usually consists mostly of cheaper devices. We all know that if Apple offered some $100 iPhone then the whole game changes in terms of sales numbers. Until Apple starts losing profit to other manufacturers then it's not that big of a deal.
We sure are different.
1) I do not mind boring in my smartphone tool; I certainly do not seek exciting in my smartphone tool. At this stage (~version 16) boring evolutionary changes suit me fine.
2) I am a photographer and I consider the added button choice of the 16 Pro to provide huge value add. And since new camera control choices can easily be ignored or disabled, IMO it is nonsensical to claim that the latest version now has "bad camera controls" even if you personally do not like the additional new choice.
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We will see January 31 what happens.
If apple stays on the same course like these past 10 years, it won’t survive the Chinese market. That’s my opinion for now. Change is needed.
I am very much looking forward to improvements to Siri. The other day I asked Siri to make me a playlist of the top 10 most frequently played songs, I felt like that would be a simple request, but it failed and then asked me if I wanted ChatGPT to look into it for me.
iPhone sales dropped in China due to government mandates/encouragements. It started a year ago and was reported here on MR and in other tech outlets.
If you don't want to believe that, that's OK with me.
Though this may disappoint you, Apple is doing fine.
I guess that the point is that WiFi 7 instead of WiFi 6E is just not that big a deal for users. And will not be that big a deal for users for the next few years. E.g. I put WiFi 6E in shortly after 6E modems became readily available, and it was a useful install; however I feel no need to be upgrading to a WiFi 7 modem for at least a few years, maybe longer. And "in a few years" all of my phones and other hardware will be upgraded to WiFi 7.
I agree the ecosystem is King, however the 16's are very poor value and definitely lack that something new & exciting, that would be useful to many, there's a couple of nice things, like the basic colour grading for Photo's and the quick launch and snap camera button, but neither is going to make people go out and upgrade 😏
Apple have been doing almost enough, but not quite for a few years now, flares in the photo's are still a thing although Apple says they've fixed them on the last two phones, they haven't!!!
We could go on.......
What I said was "vendors whose majority products cost less than half as much." This thread is about China's overall smartphone market. If you want to separate out flagship phones that is another very different discussion.
I'm willing to bet outside of tech enthusiasts, no one knows there are different Wi-Fis, let alone what Wi-Fi 7 is.
Home users don't care about more devices on their wifi as no one is even near maxing it out on any current generation, and more range doesn't help it push through walls any better, which is what we need.
I wouldn't consider this an easy request as it requires external data to answer it.
iPhones has never been large in Europe. The market was first dominated by Symbian and then by Android. In fact, Android had an even larger market share in the 2011-2016 timeframe.
The only countries with maybe a majority share for iPhones are the UK, Switzerland, Norway and maybe Luxembourg. Also tiny countries like Lichtenstein and Monaco might have a large proportion of iPhones.
If you go to central Europa and especially Eastern Europe, you'll find Android dominating the market.
The less dependent Apple is on China (be it for production or sale), the happier I am.
As to the actual cause... China is at the beginning stages of a massive recession. iPhones are an expensive, luxury good. I would expect sales to continues to decline for foreseeable future/forever, as China's economy continues to implode for the coming decades.
As to the actual cause... China is at the beginning stages of a massive recession. iPhones are an expensive, luxury good. I would expect sales to continues to decline for foreseeable future/forever, as China's economy continues to implode for the coming decades.
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Huawei has abandoned Android for many of their popular iPhones, using their own OS, HarmonyOS.
It's a major reason for Huawei's success, not AI.
I think it’s fine if apple makes minimal changes to the phone — if it sold 30% cheaper
It’s also a sign that it’s time for a redesign or some noticeable change/upgrade for your flagship iPhone.
I guess Apples policy to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses and people being turned into zombies where they wipe away your language, culture and identity are not working anymore. Sad how capitalism works, all in the name of money. Apple should be ashamed!
Agreed
Instead, though, they maintain price points (or raise them) and pocket all the difference for themselves
Why not? The iPhone is made in China and has the same parts suppliers as the Chinese brands.
I am a photographer also who uses Canon, and to me the camera control button placement is horrific. Beyond bad. Furthermore, it’s so much simpler to just touch the screen to control anything in camera apps.
It's shocking how little information people retain 😧
Apple has experienced a significant decline in iPhone sales in China, dropping from the leading position to third place in the country's smartphone market during the fourth quarter of 2024.
According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, iPhone shipments in China fell by 18.2% year-on-year in the final quarter of 2024. This decline resulted in a 17.1% market share for the company, placing it behind Huawei and Xiaomi, which captured 18.1% and 17.2% of the market, respectively. The fall comes just a year after Apple held the top position in the market with a 19% share. This is apparently the first time since the U.S. ban on Huawei that Apple has been displaced by its Chinese competitor.
Apple's reduced performance in China has been attributed to several factors, including heightened competition from domestic brands and its inability to bring Apple Intelligence to the region. While Apple Intelligence was introduced alongside the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024 in the United States, it has not been made available in China due to regulatory constraints. The company is believed to be partnering with Chinese companies to deliver the features at a later date. Huawei's strong growth in the fourth quarter—up 15.5% year-on-year—has been largely credited to AI features in its flagship Mate 70 devices and the mid-range Nova 13 series.
It is also of note that China's smartphone market experienced a 3.2% year-on-year decline in the fourth quarter of 2024, marking the only quarter of the year with negative growth. Despite these obstacles, Apple maintained its position as the third-largest smartphone brand in China for the quarter, and its sales were closely matched with Xiaomi, which recorded a 17.2% market share.
Article Link: Apple Falls to Third Place in China's Smartphone Market Amid Sales Decline
China banned the iPhone for use in government institutions over a year ago and openly discourages it's citizens from buying it, considering all that, to be just 1 % behind first place is absolutely amazing and shows how strong it is in China!