New data released Wednesday by a Chinese government-affiliated research firm showed that sales of foreign-branded smartphones, including Apple’s iPhone, fell 44.25 percent year-on-year in China in October, while overall phone sales in China rose 1.8%, Reuters reported. .
Data released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology reveals that sales of foreign-branded phones in China declined to 6.22 million units last month, down from 11.149 million units a year earlier. earlier.
The drop in overseas phone sales follows Chinese tech conglomerate Huawei’s rise to the top of China’s phone market.
Huawei was very popular in China’s smartphone market last year when it launched the Mate 60 Pro, a phone with a small computer chip more advanced than any chip previously made by a Chinese company.
Chinese consumers have enthusiastically embraced Huawei’s smartphones, attracted by the appeal of locally made technology – an option that has won over many who might previously have opted for iPhones.
On Tuesday, the Chinese phone maker launched the next generation of the Mate 60 Pro, the Mate 70 series. The smartphone was described by Huawei Consumer Group President Richard Yu as the “smartest” Mate phone, reported the New York Times.
The Mate 70 series features the most Western-influenced hardware and software to date. Highlights of Huawei’s new phone include artificial intelligence-based features and improved photography. The phone uses a HarmonyOS operating system, which allows smartphones to connect to smart devices.
Huawei’s ability to self-supply the chips needed for its hardware and software represents a notable development, following previous U.S. moves to restrict the company’s access to its key partners and suppliers.
AI technology relies on advanced semiconductor chips, a critical resource that has gained attention amid tensions between Beijing and Washington, as the two countries vie to dominate the technology industry. point.
Apple’s iPhone 16 comes with AI capabilities, but these features have not yet been implemented in iPhones in China.
Apple, which considers China its second largest market, has seen its market share decline significantly. Apple CEO Tim Cook is traveling to China this week for the third time this year to attend an industry conference.
