Despite his efforts in terms of communication and marketing, Apple gave in to its competitors Huawei and Xiaomi in the Chinese market smartphones. According to data from Canalys, the iPhone is now in 5th place with “only” 43.8 million units sold in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Huawei dominates the Chinese market
Huawei smartphones were the top-selling phones in China in Q4 2016, with 76.2 million units sold. Oppo comes second with 73.2 million smartphones sold, while Vivo closes the podium with 63.2 million units delivered. Compared to 2015, the leading trio experienced significant growth in 2016. With its 51.4 million sales, Xiaomi is down 21%, but manages to stay ahead of Apple.
The iPhone 7 too expensive?
For the Cupertino company, China was to be an important factor of growth. The reality is quite different today, the country having become a real concern. According to some observers, the iPhones are selling less because of their too high price. The Chinese prefer to turn to Android terminals offered at more affordable costs. In Q4 2016, Apple had experienced an 8% drop in revenue in China.
