The level of demand for Apple’s new iPhone 15 smartphone line in the Chinese market is lower than the sales volumes of last year’s mobile phone model of the American technology giant.
Counterpoint Research data shows that in the first two weeks after the appearance of a new generation of smartphones developed by Tim Cook’s company, their sales in Chinese stores decreased by 4.5% compared to the same figures demonstrated by the iPhone 14.
Financial firm Jefferies reports that iPhone 15 sales showed a double-digit percentage drop. According to the experts of this company, the negative commerce dynamic of devices of the American technology giant is due, among other things, to the high level of consumer demand for the new line of smartphones Mate 60 from Huawei.
After the publication of reports that the iPhone is losing ground in the Chinese market, the value of Apple shares showed a decrease of 0.08%.
The decline in sales of Tim Cook’s company smartphones was recorded at a time when many analysts claim the weakness of the Chinese economy and that the corresponding state of this system continues to worsen. Currently, negative factors complicating the economic growth opportunities of the Asian country are problems in the real estate sector, increasing pressure on the repayment of local debts, and unemployment, which has reached an undesirable level but is not massive. Also in China, there is an increase in competition among high-end suppliers, especially from the manufacturer of devices Huawei.
Jeff Fieldhack, director of research at Counterpoint, says that at present in the mentioned country there is something that can be symbolically designated as consumer nationalism. This phenomenon provides that residents, considering themselves offended by the United States government and the sanctions imposed by it, are more inclined to purchase products from Chinese companies.
At the same time, the market of China remains important for Apple. This geographical area is, from a commercial point of view, the largest market after the United States. Jeff Fieldhack said that he does not believe in Huawei’s ability to surpass Apple in terms of sales, but at the same time notes that significant consumer interest in the Chinese company’s products will remain and will become a factor influencing the performance of the American technology giant. He also stated that the iPhone manufacturer achieved significant success last year, becoming the sales leader in China. According to him, the favorable situation for Tim Cook’s company observed in 2022 has become a thing of the past, replaced by a more problematic reality, the content of which is determined by increased competition and political tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Counterpoint data shows that the iPhone 15 smartphone line in the United States showed sales growth of about 10% compared to the previous generation of devices. This is a significant result for Tim Cook’s company. The particular importance of a positive dynamic is emphasized by the fact that in August, the United States market recorded a drop in iPhone sales, which was observed by that time for three consecutive quarters.
Smartphones of the iPhone 15 line received a more subtle design. Also, these devices were equipped with an improved main camera system and a configurable action button, which provides the mute button with additional control capabilities. Smartphones of the new generation use a USB-C charging cord. For the previous 11 years, the devices relied on Apple’s proprietary Lightning charging cable.
Huawei Mate 60 Pro, the flagship smartphone of the Chinese manufacturer, was presented more than two months ago. The appearance of this device on the market has become a discussed event. In this smartphone, a 5G Kirin 9000s processor was found using the advanced 7-nanometer technology of the Chinese SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation). This fact came as a kind of shock to industry experts who were convinced that Washington’s restrictive measures deprived firms from China of access to advanced chips.
As we have reported earlier, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Deliveries Delays to November.
