As Apple faces delays in rolling out AI-powered features in China, leading Chinese smartphone manufacturers are stepping in with aggressive campaigns aimed at persuading iPhone users to switch (via Financial Times).
Brands such as Honor, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei are using AI-filled pitch decks, data-migration tools and smart-phone features to drive market share gains as Apple stumbles. These Chinese makers are offering a range of incentives to make switching from iOS easier and more appealing.
Honor, for example, now includes a “Device Clone” app that moves photos, messages and contacts from an iPhone simply by scanning a QR code. Its “Honor Connect” app mimics Apple’s file-sharing feature AirDrop. Oppo and Xiaomi have similarly touted compatibility tools such as cross-device file transfer, screen sharing, and notification synchronization so users can migrate across ecosystems without losing convenience.
Beyond convenience, these brands highlight AI-driven capabilities as a major selling point. Some of their latest models include smart assistants that can analyse transaction screenshots to track spending, give real-time fitness advice via the phone camera, and aggregate discount codes for shoppers.
This push comes at a time when Apple’s hold on China’s smartphone market is showing signs of vulnerability. In the third quarter of 2025 China sales at Apple reportedly fell by 4% year on year. In contrast, its domestic rivals now each hold between roughly 13 and 16% of the market, while another Chinese brand Vivo has already moved to the top spot with over 18% market share in China.
An executive at Honor told the Financial Times that about 37% of those who bought Honor’s latest flagship model came from iPhone devices, citing the company’s migration tools and ecosystem-spanning software as major factors influencing their choice.
Some of the features offered by these manufacturers go beyond mere imitation. Oppo’s AI assistant reportedly can interpret gym equipment using the camera and guide users in real time. That kind of advanced AI-powered functionality gives these phones advantages not only in cost but in utility over traditional iPhones.
As Chinese vendors double down on AI innovation, data-migration conveniences, and ecosystem-wide integration, they are challenging the notion that switching from iPhone necessarily means a loss in user experience.
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