Apple’s Smartphone Shipments Drop 9% in China as Rivals Surge Ahead in Q1:

Smartphone shipments by Apple in China decreased by 9% year on year (YoY) in the first quarter of 2025, as per the newest figures from the research company IDC. This was Apple’s seventh straight quarter of shipment declines in China.

Apple is currently positioned fifth in China’s smartphone market, having shipped 9.8 million units, which translates to a 13.7% market share. This is a substantial decline from the 17.4% share Apple had in the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi, the market leader, saw their shipments increase by 40% YoY, hitting 13.3 million units. Overall, the Chinese smartphone market grew by 3.3% in Q1 which indicates that there is demand which Apple was not able to capitalize on.

Premium Pricing Hurting Apple’s Position

As mentioned by IDC analyst Will Wong, the company’s premium pricing strategy seems to be an obstacle towards taking advantage of the Chinese government subsidies released in January. These subsidies applicable to smartphones and some electronics are in the form of a 15% rebate to products that cost below 6,000 yuan ($820) due to Apple’s contended pricing.

With most Apple devices resting just above this line, the US tech firm could not capitalize on this policy which allowed other brands to try and appeal to more budget-conscious consumers.