New Delhi, April 18
Apple’s smartphone shipments in China dropped by 9 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 to 9.8 million iPhones, down from over 10.7 million a year earlier, according to latest data from global market research firm IDC.
The company was the only major smartphone maker to report a decline in shipments during this period -- highlighting its growing struggle in the world’s largest smartphone market.
Its market share fell to 13.7 per cent, down sharply from 17.4 per cent in the previous quarter. This marks the seventh consecutive quarter of decline for the US tech giant in China.
In contrast, Chinese smartphone leader Xiaomi saw a sharp 40 per cent rise in shipments, reaching 13.3 million units.
Overall, the Chinese smartphone market grew 3.3 per cent during the quarter, driven in part by new government subsidies introduced in January.
Will Wong, senior research manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific, said that the ongoing US-China tensions have added to the challenges.