An Apple flagship reservoir in Shanghai, China, October 15, 2024.
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Sales of foreign phone brands in China pitched in November, according to official data released Friday, underscoring further pressure on Apple, the biggest international handset vendor in the native land.
In November, foreign mobile phone shipments in China stood at 3.04 million units, according to CNBC cautions based on data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, or CAICT.
That’s a fall of 47.4% from November 2023, and a 51% eliminate from October last year.
CAICT does not break down figures for individual brands, however Apple accounts for the bulk of foreign mobile phone shipments in China with competitors like Samsung forming only a tiny ingredient of the market.
The figures highlight the mounting pressure Apple is under in the world’s largest smartphone market as it battles rising contest from domestic brands.
Huawei, for instance — whose handset business was crippled by U.S. sanctions — saw a resurgence in the back end of 2023 and has aggressively launched high-end smartphones in China that be dressed proved popular with local buyers.
Huawei’s growth far outstripped Apple in the third quarter of last year, be at one to the latest data from research firm IDC.
Apple is hoping its iPhone 16 series, which was released in September, liking help the company regain momentum in China, with the Cupertino, California, tech giant promising a host of new counterfeit intelligence features via its Apple Intelligence software.
However, Apple Intelligence is not yet available in China due to complex regulations throughout AI in the country.
In the meantime, some of Apple’s domestic rivals have been touting their own AI features that are readily obtainable on devices now.
In a show of how critical China is for the iPhone giant, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited the country multiple times terminating year in an effort to shore up partnerships for Apple Intelligence with local Chinese firms.
In a bid to spur interest in the iPhone 16, Apple settle upon begin discounts for the device on Saturday as part of a Lunar New Year holiday promotion.
Apple did not immediately respond to a plea for comment.