BEIJING, September 30 — Apple Inc. reclaimed the top smartphone vendor position in China during the fourth quarter of 2024, according to Counterpoint Research data released in January 2025. The company shipped approximately 18.5 million iPhone units in China between October and December 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 22% and securing a market share of 21.3%. This performance allowed Apple to surpass Huawei, which shipped 16.8 million units with a 19.4% share, and Xiaomi, which recorded 15.2 million shipments and a 17.5% share in the same period.
The resurgence was driven primarily by the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series in September 2024, featuring a titanium frame, a new 48-megapixel main camera sensor with improved low-light performance, and the A18 Bionic chip manufactured on a 3-nanometer process by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max accounted for an estimated 65% of Apple’s total iPhone sales in China during Q4 2024, with the Pro models contributing disproportionately to revenue due to their higher average selling price.
Apple’s average selling price for iPhones in China rose to approximately $890 in Q4 2024, up from $820 in the same quarter of 2023, reflecting the premium mix shift. This success occurred despite a broader market contraction, as total smartphone shipments in China declined by 4.1% year-on-year to 86.7 million units in Q4 2024, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).
Apple’s rebound followed two consecutive quarters of declining market share in China in Q2 and Q3 2024, during which Huawei had regained momentum with its Mate 60 series, which utilized a domestically produced 7-nanometer Kirin 9000S chip despite U.S. export restrictions. The company’s renewed strength was supported by expanded trade-in programs, localized financing options through partnerships with Chinese banks such as China Merchants Bank, and increased retail presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley noted in a January 2025 report that Apple’s services revenue from China, including App Store and iCloud subscriptions, grew by 18% year-on-year in Q4 2024, reaching approximately $1.9 billion, further reinforcing the ecosystem lock-in effect. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook emphasized during the company’s Q1 2025 earnings call in January 2025 that China remains a ‘critical market’ for long-term growth, citing the country’s expanding middle class and increasing demand for premium devices.
Challenges remain, including ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, potential regulatory scrutiny under China’s Anti-Monopoly Law, and consumer sensitivity to high pricing amid a sluggish domestic economy. The sustainability of Apple’s momentum will depend on its ability to maintain product differentiation, navigate regulatory environments, and respond to competitive pressures from domestic rivals investing heavily in foldable devices and artificial intelligence integration.
