iPhone shipments in China fell 33% in February compared to the same month last year, continuing a steady downward trend in demand for the U.S. Apple group’s flagship product in its most important foreign market, Bloomberg reported. , quoted by Agerpres.

According to official data, foreign brands shipped about 2.4 million smartphones to China last month alone, which was influenced by the fact that this year’s Lunar New Year was celebrated in February. Apple is responsible for the majority of these shipments, being the only foreign player with a significant market share in China.

February marked the second month in a row of falling iPhone shipments in China. According to the Chinese Academy of Information and Communication Technology, the American group shipped about 5.5 million smartphones to China in January, which is about 39% less than in January last year.

Since September of last year, when the latest iPhone model was released, Apple has been fighting for the most popular product in the world’s largest smartphone market.

Huawei’s return creates problems for Apple in China

The return of the Chinese group Huawei Technologies Co. as a major competitor in the premium phone market stole market share from Apple and slowing iPhone sales forced the US group to resort to price cuts in January.

“Apple’s distribution channels in China are still digesting shipments from the last quarter of 2023, which may explain the decline in recent months. But it’s a sign of a slowdown for Apple in China in the coming months, especially as Chinese rivals come out with very aggressive AI smartphone messaging,” Canalys analyst Nicole Peng said.

And the overall smartphone market in China shrank by almost a third in February, which indicates a broader reluctance of consumers to spend on non-essential goods.

Analysts are still betting on China’s smartphone market to grow this year, but expect iPhone sales to continue to decline.

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