A series of recent reports have indicated that Chinese iPhone sales are relatively strong amid a general downturn in the market. The latest one echoes this, noting that Apple’s most expensive models had the biggest growth, up 147% year over year.
Market intelligence data shows an interesting split in sales by price level…
declining market
Smartphone sales in China have slumped for some time, as a recent official government report predicted shipments would drop this year to their lowest level in a decade.
Market saturation, longer waits between upgrades, and increased consumer interest in budgeting what could prove to be a prolonged downturn.
In the first half of the year, smartphone shipments in the world’s largest market fell 21.7% over the year to 134 million, according to the Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology.
The smartphone market has been hit hard by a combination of supply chain problems, high inflation and economic uncertainty, which has led many consumers to cut back on spending on discretionary items such as new phones.
The situation in China has been exacerbated by citywide lockdowns as part of the government’s continued insistence that such drastic measures will enable it to completely eradicate COVID-19. This resulted in many being unable to work, while others were not allowed to leave their factories.
Chinese iPhone sales
However, the iPhone performed better than most. While domestic brands were struggling, both Apple and Samsung were able to outperform the market, with the biggest increases in the so-called premium phones category costing more than US$1,000.
In the first quarter, the segment saw 176% annual growth, and Counterpoint Research says that while the second quarter wasn’t that exciting, both Apple and Samsung enjoyed triple-digit growth in sales of over 1,000. dollar.
Chips of $600-799 (premium) and $1,000 and up (premium) reported increases in Q2 2022 […]
Apple did well in the $1,000 and up segment, posting a 147% year-over-year increase, while Samsung also posted 133% year-over-year growth. These two brands have benefited from Huawei’s decline and a shift in buying trends towards premium phones in China.
Samsung has boosted sales of its longtime flagship models by offering deep discounts in China, while Apple has mostly kept the discounts to a more modest level, offering nothing on its official website. This changed for the first time last month.
It’s very clear that the Ultra Quality category is where the most growth can be found.
The launch of the iPhone 14 lineup next month should boost Apple’s growth in the country in the current quarter, especially if the early launch rumors turn out to be true.
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