Apple’s smartphone sales in China fell sharply in the final quarter of 2024, hurt by the popularity of local rivals like Huawei and others expanding into the premium market, according to a closely followed research firm.

In China, Apple’s second largest market, iPhone sales fell 18% in the December ending quarter, according to Bloomberg.

The Counterpoint Research report reveals that Apple used to have about 19 per cent market share last year. But this year, the numbers have been abysmally low for Apple.

Worldwide smartphone sales grew in 2024 following two consecutive years of decline according to reports from Counterpoint, Canalys, and IDC. The bulk of the growth came from Chinese manufacturers including Xiaomi and Vivo, though Apple and Samsung are still holding strong as the undisputed market leaders.

This secured Apple a dominant 27 per cent share of the value market in India. Interestingly, this figure also highlights Apple’s competitive edge, capturing the second-highest value share of 22 per cent in the overall Indian smartphone market, closely trailing Samsung’s 17.7 per cent.

Apple has experienced a significant decline in iPhone sales in China, dropping from the leading position to third place in the

Sales of Apple Inc. iPhones dived 18.2% in China during the December quarter, according to independent research, a major setback for the company in its biggest market after the US.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone sales are dropping rapidly and sharply in China. The nation is the world’s largest smartphone market by far, with about a billion smartphone users. The U.S. market has closer to 310 million.