Apple sold a small number of iPhones last year and lost ground from its Chinese competitors, reflecting its lack of Apple intelligence in the largest market outside the United States.
According to CounterPoint research data, iPhone market share fell by 18% in 2024. Samsung Electronics also gave up its share of the growing Android device manufacturers in China led by Xiaomi and Vivo. According to the study, Apple grew 4% worldwide, and Apple’s sales fell 2% throughout the year.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, has been attracting fishing on artificial intelligence (AI), with its AI enhancements rolling out a series of enhancements on the stage after the iPhone 16 was launched in September. These AI additions are not yet available in any form in China, the world’s largest smartphone market, as the company is still working to ensure local partners who can help provide features like AI writing help and image generation.
“Apple’s iPhone 16 series has experienced different reactions, partly due to the lack of usability at the time of launch,” said Tarun Pathak, director of Counterpoint. “However, Apple continues to grow in non-core markets such as Latin America.”
Researchers found that Lenovo’s Motorola and Shenzhen’s Huawei Technologies and Honor Equipment are the fastest-growing brands in the top ten. Smartphone manufacturers in China are developing their own internal AI tools and agents, including services that can perform tasks on behalf of users.
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