America's Apple iPhone has surpassed smartphone brand Vivo to emerge as the largest smartphone vendor in China in October 2021, says a report.
Driven by the iPhone 13 series, Apple’s sales grew 46% MoM, the highest among all major OEMs in the country. In comparison, China’s smartphone market grew only 2% MoM in October.
Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said, “Ever since Huawei’s decline, the top position in China has been changing hands. OPPO became #1 in January 2021 while Vivo attained the top position in March 2021. The market dynamics in China changed again in October with Apple becoming the new #1 OEM for the first since December 2015. This was driven by the success of the iPhone 13 series, which was also launched cheaper than the iPhone 12 series in China."
"Huawei has been resilient in the premium segment in China, but this seems to be changing now. Apple, with its strong brand equity, is gaining the maximum from the gap left by Huawei in the premium segment. Apple could have gained more if it were not for the shortages, especially for the Pro versions. But still, Apple is managing its supply chain better than other OEMs," he added.
According to local media reports, when iPhone preorders were first released in September, demand was so high that Chinese retail websites reportedly went down. During the initial phase, as many as 5 million preorders were placed, signaling Apple’s continued popularity in the country.
