Apple Was Fastest Growing Smartphone Brand in China in Second Quarter, Buoyed By Strong iPhone SE Sales

[MacRumors]

Apple's iPhone was the fastest-growing smartphone brand in China in the second quarter, according to data published by Counterpoint Research.

Bouncing back from the decline in the market in Q1 following the global health crisis, Apple grew 32% year on year thanks to the continued popularity of its iPhone 11 lineup and heavy discounting at an annual shopping festival that Apple doesn't usually participate in.

This year's new iPhone SE also entered into the top three best-selling iPhones in the quarter, mirroring the more affordable device's performance in the United States in the same quarter.

Apple's reversal of fortunes in China are particularly impressive given that it saw an almost 60 percent slump in iPhone sales in February compared to the previous year, shifting fewer than 500,000 handsets across the country.

The surge in iPhone sales in Q2 comes amid a 17% year-on-year decline in overall smartphone sales in China. In addition, one third of total smartphone sales during the quarter were 5G devices, which is the highest adoption of 5G in the world and bodes well for Apple's 5G "iPhone 12" lineup, expected this fall.

Article Link: Apple Was Fastest Growing Smartphone Brand in China in Second Quarter, Buoyed By Strong iPhone SE Sales

 

[Agit21]

Apple is the only the brand that offers high quality flagships with small dimensions 🤗

 

[nicho]

Apple is the only the brand that offers high quality flagships with small dimensions 🤗

The research suggests they're buying iPhone SEs, not iPhone 11 Pros.

 

[0924487]

The research suggests they're buying iPhone SEs, not iPhone 11 Pros.

iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.

 

[LeeW]

Strong sales on a cheap iPhone, who would have thought it.

 

[nicho]

iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.

They're not the same thing.

It is a premium phone. It is a very good phone. But it is most definitely not a flagship model unless you're saying it is - objectively, not subjectively because you have small hands - better than an iPhone 11 Pro.

Apple's iPhone SE Proves You Don’t Need a Fancy Phone

For a pocketable device with a powerful processor, $400 is a great starting point.

www.wired.com

 

[Saturn007]

Again, another story that accepts at face value, takes as gospel, whatever data is reported! Come on, MR, you can do better than simply act as a PR shill for a marketing research company!

How good a survey was it? How accurate are the data? How reputable is this company? What independent confirmation of THE sales data is there?! What do the data from other companies say?

What are the limitations of the data? What are the sampling biases? The margins of error? The validity of the data? What are the caveats? What is this company's track record?

Let's not err as commenters, either, by accepting this report as The Truth, and wasting our time arguing, debating, analyzing, and trying to explain its supposed findings. Even money says that the reality of Chinese phone sales is quite different from whatever supposed data this company is purveying! Thus, we have no credible foundation for discussing it!

<rant off> 😎

 

[nylonsteel]

the numbers look good

 

[SBlue1]

The research suggests they're buying iPhone SEs, not iPhone 11 Pros.

My wife’s mom got a brand new Samsung M series smartphone. Its ****** compared to the S series. So yes even the SE is a premium phone
since it’s as fast as the iPhone 11.

 

[nicho]

What are the limitations of the data? What are the sampling biases? The margins of error? The validity of the data? What are the caveats? What is this company's track record?

Why not ask them?

contact(at)counterpointresearch.com

 

[I7guy]

Again, another story that accepts at face value, takes as gospel, whatever data is reported! Come on, MR, you can do better than simply act as a PR shill for a marketing research company!

How good a survey was it? How accurate are the data? How reputable is this company? What independent confirmation of THE sales data is there?! What do the data from other companies say?

What are the limitations of the data? What are the sampling biases? The margins of error? The validity of the data? What are the caveats? What is this company's track record?

Let's not err as commenters, either, by accepting this report as The Truth, and wasting our time arguing, debating, analyzing, and trying to explain its supposed findings. Even money says that the reality of Chinese phone sales is quite different from whatever supposed data this company is purveying! Thus, we have no credible foundation for discussing it!

<rant off> 😎

How would MacRumors know the answer to those questions any more than you would?

But taken at face value, yeah it's a good sign.

 

[nicho]

My wife’s mom got a brand new Samsung M series smartphone. Its ****** compared to the S series. So yes even the SE is a premium phone
since it’s as fast as the iPhone 11.

Premium =/= flagship.

It is a premium phone. None of the phones you list are flagships.
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How would MacRumors know the answer to those questions any more than you would?

The could reach out and check!

If you are a member of the press, please contact us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for any media enquiries.

 

[entropys]

Interesting the deterioration of oppo’s position after it tried moving upmarket.
(P.S. always take these companies figures with a large grain of salt).

 

[boss.king]

iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.

You may want to look up what the word flagship means.

 

[I7guy]

...The could reach out and check!

If you are a member of the press, please contact us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for any media enquiries.

Why should they?

For example, someone says the NYT reported something on page 2. Does that page 2 article have to be fact checked before being cited? Of course not? Why should MR do anything different?

 

[nicho]

Why should they?

For example, someone says the NYT reported something on page 2. Does that page 2 article have to be fact checked before being cited? Of course not? Why should MR do anything different?

I answered the question you posed.

 

[I7guy]

I answered the question you posed.

Actually, you didn't, nor the follow-up.

 

[ian87w]

In China, Apple has a small market share, so it's "easier" to show growth, especially since Apple is playing in the premium segment where the market is less likely to be hugely affected by things like the pandemy.

This is in contrast to the rest of the Chinese players where they are playing in all segment, including the bottom where they have volume but are extremely price sensitive and can be hugely affected by the pandemy.

TL;DR, my explanation on this, in a crisis, rich people will still buy phones, while poor people will not.

 

[nicho]

Actually, you didn't.

You asked how they would know that information. I gave the information as to how.

You went on to clarify "any more than you would" - well, that contact address is only for members of the press, so unless he's a journalist too - there you go. That's how. So actually, I did answer the question.

They do have a general enquiries contact email too, but I was working on the assumption they'd be more responsive to the press - why else would they need a separate press email?

Here's their full blurb, from the linked website. For detailed insights on the data, please reach out to us at contact(at)counterpointresearch.com. If you are a member of the press, please contact us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for any media enquiries.


As to the other question, "Why should they?" - well that's a totally different thing. I don't think they need to.

 

[Sasparilla]

Nice to see, but could change at the whim of the govt or market forces of course.

Sometimes its hard to keep track of the brands here. For those in the U.S. and Europe, One Plus - which is fairly popular - is owned by Oppo in the list.

 

[nicho]

In China, Apple has a small market share, so it's "easier" to show growth, especially since Apple is playing in the premium segment where the market is less likely to be hugely affected by things like the pandemy.

CNBC's article on this has detailed figures not present in the linked press release:

The sell-through volume for iPhones in China was 7.4 million units in the April to June quarter

In comparison, Chinese phone maker Huawei saw sell-through volumes of 36.6 million units, or up 14% compared to a year ago. Apple sells significantly fewer phones than Huawei in China.

Apple's China iPhone sales jump 225% in the second quarter as recovery continues, research shows

The cheaper iPhone SE and the popularity of the iPhone 11 series, along with deep discounts, helped Apple get a boost in China in the second quarter.

www.cnbc.com

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Sometimes its hard to keep track of the brands here. For those in the U.S. and Europe, One Plus - which is fairly popular - is owned by Oppo in the list.

The same company (BBK) which owns Oppo also owns Vivo. And also another brand, Realme, which is apparently quite successful in India.

 

[I7guy]

You asked how they would know that information. I gave the information as to how.

The how doesn't guarantee they would get a proper answer. It only provides a pathway to asking the question.

You went on to clarify "any more than you would" - well, that contact address is only for members of the press, so unless he's a journalist too - there you go. That's how. So actually, I did answer the question.

They do have a general enquiries contact email too, but I was working on the assumption they'd be more responsive to the press - why else would they need a separate press email?

Here's their full blurb, from the linked website. For detailed insights on the data, please reach out to us at contact(at)counterpointresearch.com. If you are a member of the press, please contact us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for any media enquiries.


As to the other question, "Why should they?" - well that's a totally different thing. I don't think they need to.

You are correct. My point about how and/or why from digging into the websites in the past, is that minimal information is provided, certainly not enough to answer detailed questions about the way the results are tallied. And technically is MacRumors considered to be a member of the press? Will Counterpoint give up their secret calculations so that anybody in the world can do the same thing? Doubt it.

 

[subi257]

Apple is the only the brand that offers high quality flagships with small dimensions 🤗

"Flagship" traditionally means the best, there would only be one in whatever group one is looking at.
In the the iPhone world the Apple iPhone flagship would be the 11 Pro Max and that is it.
[automerge]1596026811[/automerge]

iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.

Look up the definition of "flagship" the iPhone 11 Pro Max is the only one that is a flagship within the iPhone line up.

 

[nicho]

The how doesn't guarantee they would get a proper answer. It only provides a pathway to asking the question.

You are correct. My point about how and/or why from digging into the websites in the past, is that minimal information is provided, certainly not enough to answer detailed questions about the way the results are tallied. And technically is MacRumors considered to be a member of the press? Will Counterpoint give up their secret calculations so that anybody in the world can do the same thing? Doubt it.

I expect they would explain the nature of their calculations, if not their sources. The certainly seem to have told CNBC (I missed this part on first read-through):

An answer to @Saturn007's question - "Sell-through refers to iPhones that go to Apple’s retail partners and is a close gauge to actual sales to consumers."

 

[I7guy]

I expect they would explain the nature of their calculations, if not their sources. The certainly seem to have told CNBC (I missed this part on first read-through):

An answer to @Saturn007's question - "Sell-through refers to iPhones that go to Apple’s retail partners and is a close gauge to actual sales to consumers."

I can see how that (maybe) could be true outside of the US, but in the US? For example, I buy my iphones directly from Apple and have been for years.