The Battle between Huawei and Apple in the Premium Smartphone Market

In the high-end flagship smartphone market, the rivalry between Huawei and Apple has always been prominent. It can be said that on this battlefield, Apple’s iPhone and Huawei have consistently been the undisputed leaders.

Both brands have won consumers’ favor with their unique design concepts, outstanding performance, and excellent ecosystems, garnering significant influence.

However, sustaining this position is undoubtedly challenging, and over time, both brands have experienced some degree of fluctuation.

What came as a surprise, though, is the data released by the market research firm Counterpoint, showing a significant decline in Apple’s sales in China, while local brands like Huawei demonstrated strong growth momentum.

Detailed data reveals that Apple’s iPhone sales in China plummeted by 19% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, marking its worst quarterly performance since 2020.

This data undoubtedly serves as a wakeup call for Apple, highlighting the complexity and volatility of the Chinese market. Despite still being one of the leading smartphone brands globally, Apple’s market share continues to erode.

As local brands rise and consumer demands diversify, Apple’s position in the Chinese market faces unprecedented challenges.

So, this data isn’t an exception, especially considering the recent attitude towards new iPhone models, which indeed makes user acceptance quite difficult.

Take the iPhone 15 series, for example; there’s a significant gap between the standard and Pro versions. Just from the perspective of the screen, the lack of support for a 120Hz refresh rate is hard to accept.

Moreover, there’s a noticeable gap in core configurations. The A17 Pro processor using 3nm technology isn’t supported; instead, the A16 processor is continued.

Coupled with the current iOS system, after Chinese Apple fans update to the iOS 17 version, they can’t enjoy the functionality of a brand-new side-loaded app store.

Given the current situation, it’s naturally challenging to attract Chinese users; at the very least, a completely new strategy is needed for users to understand it.

For instance, the iPhone SE4 version is already in the works; according to leaks, there might be some detailed news about this processor next month.

Though it’s speculated to have a relatively small screen, specifics regarding its design, configuration, and pricing are still unknown.

But judging by the positioning of previous SE versions, the product’s market performance shouldn’t be much of an issue, at least around 3,000 yuan.

There’s great hope that it will disrupt the smartphone market significantly and possibly help Apple further increase its sales volume.

In fact, Huawei’s products directly impact Apple’s performance in the high-end market. Huawei’s continuous efforts in technological innovation, product design, and user experience make its products more competitive in the market.

Moreover, data shows that Huawei’s smartphone market share in China in the first quarter of 2024 has risen to 15.5%, which is quite remarkable.

Keyly, its sales have grown by nearly 70%, significantly challenging Apple’s dominance in the high-end market. It seems that everything has changed since Huawei resumed its development pace.

After all, features like the Kirin processor, HarmonyOS system, periscope lens, and satellite calling technology have strong appeal.

While Apple has also introduced a series of new products in recent years, it hasn’t fully met the demands of Chinese consumers in certain aspects, leading to a decline in its sales.

Furthermore, the decrease in consumer demand for upgrading iPhones compared to previous years further exacerbates Apple’s dilemma in the Chinese market.

Keyly, apart from Huawei phones, Apple’s global market share is also facing challenges from local brands like Xiaomi.

It seems that Apple iPhones in the future must break through to make an impact in the market; otherwise, gaining traction will indeed be extremely difficult.

In conclusion, Apple’s sharp decline in sales in the Chinese market is not incidental but rather an inevitable outcome of market competition and changing consumer demands.

For Apple, revitalizing its presence in the Chinese market is a crucial task for its future development.

What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to discuss.