Against this backdrop, Apple’s share of the Chinese market has come under increasing pressure from local rivals, such as Vivo and Xiaomi.
The US firm re-entered China’s top five smartphone makers in the third quarter of 2024 after briefly dropping off the list.
According to IDC’s latest research, Vivo was China’s best-selling smartphone maker in the period as its sales jumped by more than 20%.
During the same period, Apple saw sales dip by 0.3%. Huawei’s jumped by more than 40%.
“We’ve seen market competition increase with almost everyone launching a flagship last quarter,” said Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
Huawei has seen demand for its products surge after its return to the premium smartphone market in August last year.
The Shenzhen-based firm has since launched several new devices powered by advanced technology despite the company facing US restrictions.