Fresh data from Counterpoint Research shows that while Apple secured the number two spot in the market during China’s massive mid-year 618 shopping festival, its overall sales still dropped by 9% year over year.
The decline highlights the fierce competition Apple faces in its most critical international market, where local rivals continue to gain significant ground.
Faced with cooling consumer demand and aggressive local competitors, Apple took action a full month before the official 618 shopping day even arrived. The Cupertino company authorised massive promotional campaigns to tempt shoppers, slashing total prices by up to 2,000 Chinese Yuan on the premium iPhone 17 Pro series.
To reach that eye-watering discount level, Apple combined direct manufacturing markdowns with e-commerce platform vouchers and enticing trade-in incentives.
The heavy price cuts did exactly what they were supposed to do at first. Shoppers looking for a premium upgrade flocked to the deals, creating a substantial wave of immediate buying. This rapid surge in sales was strong enough to push Apple up into second place in the overall market standings for the festival period.
Despite the impressive sequential rebound in June, the broader picture looks far less rosy for the iPhone maker. A 9% drop compared to the same period last year shows that Apple is fighting an uphill battle. Market analysts point out that this yearly decline is largely due to how Apple handled the previous generation.
Last year, the company ran an even more aggressive and unprecedented promotional blitz for the iPhone 16 series during the 618 festival. Because last year’s bar was set so high, this year’s massive effort still resulted in a net loss in year-over-year volume.
Apple was far from the only brand struggling to find its footing during the shopping festival. Brands like OPPO, vivo, HONOR, and Xiaomi all suffered painful double-digit drops. The single exception to this rule was Huawei.
While Apple had to discount its flagship heavily to take second place, Huawei secured the number one spot with a 21% market share, standing out as the only major brand to achieve positive yearly growth.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
