In 2024, the smartphone market in China experienced a significant decline after showing positive growth in January. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, smartphone shipments dropped by over 30% compared to the previous year, totaling 14 million units. Local brands dominated the market, accounting for approximately 83% of total shipments, while foreign products, such as Apple’s iPhone, only made up around 2.4 million units, marking a 31.7% decrease from the previous year.
In January, total smartphone shipments surged by 61.4% to 29.5 million units, with local brands seeing a 165% increase. When looking at the first two months of 2024, total smartphone shipments increased by 12.5% to 43.6 million units, with 5G models experiencing a growth of 13.3% and totaling 38.7 million units shipped. However, this growth was short-lived as demand began to decline in February due to rapidly changing market dynamics and intense competition from local brands.
Apple has been facing a decline in iPhone demand in China for several years now, with unit sales falling by an average of -7% year-on-year from July to December in recent years. The trend is expected to continue as analysts like Kuo Ming-Chi from TF International Securities have predicted a decline of about -15% in annual iPhone shipments.
This trend poses a significant challenge for smartphone manufacturers, especially foreign brands like Apple as they try to maintain their market share in one of the most competitive environments globally. With declining demand and rapidly changing market dynamics, innovative and adaptive strategies will be necessary for all major players in the industry.
The Chinese government has taken steps to address this issue by launching initiatives aimed at promoting domestic smartphone manufacturing and improving consumer trust in locally produced devices through stringent regulations on product quality and cybersecurity measures.
Despite these efforts, however, it remains uncertain whether these measures will be enough to reverse the trend or whether we can expect continued declines in smartphone sales across all major markets worldwide.
As we move forward into an increasingly digital age where technology is becoming ever more integrated into our daily lives, it is clear that innovation and adaptability will be key factors for success in this highly competitive industry.
Overall, while there are challenges ahead for both domestic and foreign brands operating in China’s fast-paced smartphone marketplace
