Apple Maintains Top Spot for Phone Sales in China with 23.6% Market Share

After outperforming all other phone makers in October, Apple has once again secured the no.1 spot for phone sales in China for November, thanks to the success of the iPhone 13 series (via The Wall Street Journal).

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Apple’s market share in China grew 15.5% from a month earlier to 23.6% in November, with nearest rival Vivo managing to grab 17.8% market share.

Sales promotions during China’s Black Friday-like shopping season in November also helped major platforms report record sales. Several iPhone models made it into a daily sales top 10 ranking on one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, JD.com on Nov. 11, when the ‘Singles Day’ event kicked off.

Apple’s top spot in China may, however, be short-lived, said Counterpoint analyst Ethan Qi.

Ethan Qi estimated December or January would be a turning point after Chinese iPhone owners finish upgrading their older devices. Mr. Qi said Apple may drop back behind domestic brands like Oppo, Vivo and Honor—a budget brand previously owned by Huawei—early in the new year.

Apple has also kept prices on hold in China despite repeated warnings from Tim Cook of losses caused by supply constraints for semiconductors and other materials.