星空传媒

Skip to main content

iPhone sales are plunging. Here's why

An Apple iPhone 15 advertisement is seen as it went on sale across China at an Apple Store in Shanghai, China September 22, 2023. (Aly Song / Reuters via CNN Newsource) An Apple iPhone 15 advertisement is seen as it went on sale across China at an Apple Store in Shanghai, China September 22, 2023. (Aly Song / Reuters via CNN Newsource)
Share

Apple鈥檚 smartphone sales tumbled 10 per cent last quarter, according to market research firm IDC, as sales in China fell sharply.

The company has lost momentum in China as nationalism, a rough economy and increased competition have hurt Apple over the past several months.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a steep drop for Apple, but if you think of where we have been in the past four years, Apple has probably been the most resilient brand, overcoming supply chain issues and macro challenges, more than other brands,鈥 said Nabila Popal, research director at IDC, told CNN.

Samsung had been the top smartphone manufacturer for the past 12 years. Apple took the crown last year 鈥 but only for one quarter, as Samsung took the spot back.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also very significant that Samsung is back at the top,鈥 Popal said. 鈥淭his year, we are expecting Android to grow at twice the pace of iOS.鈥 (Android is the operating system used by Samsung systems, while iPhones use iOS.)

That鈥檚 because Android had a strong decline over the past few years, so it has more room to grow now. Both Apple and Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.

Overall, IDC global smartphone shipments increased 7.8 per cent year over year to about 289 million devices in the first quarter of 2024, indicating the smartphone market is reemerging after two years of macroeconomic challenge.

Samsung occupied about 20.8 per cent of market share (or 60.1 million shipments) during the quarter, followed by Apple with 17.3 per cent (50.1 million shipments). Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi made up 14.1 per cent (40.8 million shipments).

In December, Apple overtook Samsung as the highest performer in the smartphone category, ending Samsung鈥檚 12-year run at the top, with 20 per cent market share (compared to Samsung鈥檚 19.4 per cent market share).

Although IDC said in its latest report that it expects Apple and Samsung to maintain their hold on the market, the resurgence of Huawei and other companies in China, including Xiaomi and OPPO/OnePlus, will likely continue. Chinese consumers who once would have considered Apple are now turning to national brands in China.

China remains an important market for Apple as it is the largest market behind the U.S. The company continues to offer discounts in China to help boost sales.

Last year, Huawei鈥檚 popular Mate 60 smartphone made headlines when the US government sought more information about the Pro model, which included a sophisticated processor. Its debut shocked industry experts who questioned how the company could make such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China鈥檚 access to foreign chip technology because of perceived national security concerns.

Popal also noted Apple has not articulated a strong message about artificial intelligence, at a time when many tech companies are doubling down on related strategies and features.

We鈥檙e hoping to hear some messaging around this at its June developer conference,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hopeful if they do provide something for the consumers 鈥 they should gain more interest that they鈥檝e seen challenges with.鈥

Samsung, however, has already gone all in on AI. For its most recent flagship Galaxy S24 lineup, which was announced in January, the company emphasized bringing AI advancements to its messaging, photos and games.

鈥淎s the overall smartphone market recovers this year, with a strong focus on AI, Samsung is in good position to grow further this year,鈥 she added.

CTVNews.ca 星空传媒

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

Stay Connected