Foreign Brand Smartphone Sales in China Plunge by 47%

Forex - Sales of foreign phone brands in China declined in November, highlighting the increasing pressure on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), the largest international phone seller in the country. According to calculations based on data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), foreign mobile phone shipments in China totaled 3.04 million units in November. This figure represents a decrease of 47.4% compared to November 2023 and a 51% drop compared to October of the previous year. CAICT does not disclose figures for individual brands, but Apple accounts for the majority of foreign mobile phone shipments in China, while competitors like Samsung hold only a small portion of the market. The data underscores the growing pressure on Apple in the world’s largest smartphone market as it faces increasing competition from domestic brands. Apple hopes that the iPhone 16 series, launched in September, will help the company regain momentum in China. The California-based tech giant promises a range of new artificial intelligence features through Apple Intelligence software. However, Apple Intelligence is not yet available in China due to complex AI-related regulations in the country. Meanwhile, some of Apple's domestic competitors are currently highlighting their own AI features available on their devices.