With substantial price reductions on its iPhone 17 Pro line, Apple has reclaimed second place in the Chinese summer sales market. However, this rise comes in a market that is noticeably shrinking – and even Apple's own sales have declined. Behind this weakness lies the same force driving up prices worldwide.
Around the time of the 618 – China's major mid-year shopping festival – sales figures are traditionally considered a barometer of the mood in the world's largest smartphone market. This year, the picture is bleak: Sales plummeted by 13 percent compared to the same period last year, according to a recent report by market researchers at Counterpoint Research. The analysis explicitly cites increased component costs as the cause – the same wave of costs triggered by the memory shortage that forced Apple to raise prices worldwide in June.
Discounts of up to 2,000 yuan lift Apple to second place
Apple launched its discount campaign roughly a month before the 618, combining official price reductions, platform promotions, and trade-in bonuses to offer savings of up to 2,000 yuan (roughly €250) on the iPhone 17 Pro line. The discounts were effective, propelling Apple to second place in the market. The sales figures for the period from May 25th to June 21st are as follows:
| Manufacturer | Market share |
|---|---|
| Huawei | 21 % |
| Apple | 18 % |
| OPPO | 18 % |
| vivo | 17 % |
| Xiaomi | 14 % |
| HONOR | 10 % |
| Others | 2 % |
Despite the recovery compared to previous months, Apple's sales were still down nine percent year-on-year – mainly because the iPhone 16 series had been advertised even more aggressively in the same period of the previous year.
Why the promotion is a resounding success
A second-place finish sounds like a clear victory, but the context tempers the significance. Apple has risen in a shrinking market, sacrificing some ground and ultimately securing its position with margin-reducing discounts. Relatively speaking, however, the company remains remarkably stable: its nine percent decline was the smallest among all the major brands that lost ground – its Chinese Android rivals suffered losses of between 12 and 33 percent. Only Huawei saw growth, and a strong 19 percent year-on-year increase at that.
This confirms a pattern that has emerged over the past few quarters: Apple is weathering market weakness better than its competitors because brand loyalty and a broader price range are supporting demand. The discount campaign was less a sign of strength than a tool to maintain sales volume in a challenging environment.
The common thread is the storage crisis
Counterpoint immediately provides the real reason for the weak 618 sales: Price increases resulting from rising memory costs limited the scope for discounts and further dampened already sluggish demand. This makes China the first major real-world test of the question currently being debated on the stock market – namely, whether customers will accept higher prices or postpone purchases. The answer from China is mixed: The overall market weakened, which argues against unlimited price tolerance; at the same time, Apple performed best, which at least partially supports the optimistic interpretation of some Wall Street banks.
Both observations point in the same direction: The company is losing less than its competitors, but it is losing. The figures don't support the blanket statement that "customers will buy anyway" - but they do show that Apple's position in the downturn is more robust than that of most of its competitors.
Apple's pricing power under scrutiny
The China figures offer a glimpse into the key question for the coming months: How far can demand be strained before it collapses? A more reliable picture on a global scale will emerge with the quarterly results on July 30 – Tim Cook's likely last earnings call before handing over to John Ternus. Until then, the 618 remains an insightful interim indicator: Apple is holding its own against the headwinds, but the company is also feeling the effects of the storage crisis, which is now impacting retail. (Image: Shutterstock / Sorbis)
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