According to Counterpoint Research, Apple will be the top smartphone brand in China for the first time in six years in the fourth quarter of 2021.
While smartphone sales in China fell 9% year on year for the third consecutive quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021, and fell 2% year on year for the fourth consecutive year in 2021, Apple finally beat Vivo to become the country’s top smartphone brand. In sum, Apple captured 23% of the Chinese smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2021, the company’s greatest market share in the country.
Vivo, Oppo, Honor, and Xiaomi, all Chinese brands, came in second, third, fourth, and fifth place, respectively. Mengmeng Zhang, a Counterpoint Research analyst, stated:
Apple’s stellar performance was driven by a mix of its pricing strategy and gain from Huawei’s premium base. Apple rose to first place in China right after the iPhone 13 was released (week 39) in September. Afterwards, it remained in the leading position for most of the fourth quarter. The new iPhone 13 has led the success due to a relatively lower starting price at its release in China, as well as the new camera and 5G features. Furthermore, Huawei, Apple’s main competitor in the premium market, faced declining sales due to the ongoing U.S. sanctions.
The fourth quarter of 2021 marked Apple’s first time as China’s top smartphone brand since the fourth quarter of 2015, when the iPhone 6’s upgrade supercycle was at its peak. According to Counterpoint, Apple’s success in the premium end of the market would push Chinese brands to expand their offers in this segment. also read: Deals: 32GB Apple TV 4K for $159.99 (discount of $19)