Investing.com -- Sales of foreign-branded smartphones, including Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s iPhone, plummeted 44.25% year-on-year in China during October, according to a report from Reuters on Wednesday, citing data released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), a government-affiliated research firm.
The data reportedly showed that sales of foreign phone brands in China fell to 6.22 million units last month, a sharp decline from 11.15 million units recorded in October 2023.
As the largest foreign smartphone manufacturer in China, Apple’s performance is said to have significantly impacted the overall figures for foreign brands.
Reuters noted that Apple released its iPhone 16 models in September, but the delayed rollout of the much-anticipated AI feature tailored for the Chinese market may have contributed to weaker sales.
The feature, which is expected to debut next year, lacks a confirmed AI partner in China, further dampening consumer enthusiasm.
Despite the decline in foreign-branded smartphone sales, the Chinese market saw overall mobile phone sales rise by 1.8% year-on-year to 29.67 million units in October, underscoring a robust demand for domestically produced devices.
The steep drop in Apple’s performance highlights the challenges faced by the company in China’s highly competitive smartphone market, where local manufacturers are gaining share.