Many Chinese are shifting away from Apple’s iPhone. The numbers for the first three months of 2025 reveal that shipments of iPhones in the country dropped by 19%. Apple’s downward trend in China figures marks a record low since 2014.
According to Counterpoint Research, Apple currently occupies the fifth position in China’s phone market. More and more, Huawei, Honor and Xiaomi are becoming popular among customers in this region. Moreover, thanks to the Mate 60 Pro 5G, Huawei has easily outpaced other devices and regained first place. Huawei’s sales rose by 70% compared to how it was doing last year.
While Apple’s share dropped, brands such as Honor and Xiaomi grew. While other companies saw sales increase in China, Apple alone suffered large losses this quarter.
Many experts believe that Chinese people prefer local phones mainly due to feeling proud of their own products and because of new technology. At the same time, the latest iPhone 15 was not widely appealing in China, and Apple’s old phones didn’t improve the situation.
The company is hoping that its plans for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and AI in iOS 18 will lead to a rise in sales. At the same time, rising competition at home and problems with China make it difficult for Apple in its third-largest market.