Apple’s iPhone sales in China saw a significant decline in December 2024, dropping by 10-12% compared to December 2023, according to a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as reported by GSM Arena.
Kuo attributes the sales slump to the lack of notable innovation in the iPhone 16 series. Chinese consumers have reportedly not responded positively to the new series, as it fails to introduce major upgrades over the previous generation.
Interestingly, the overall smartphone market in China remained relatively stable in December. However, Apple’s decline amidst such market conditions is a cause for concern for the company.
Kuo has also predicted that Apple’s sales could dip further in the first half of 2025. While the release of the new iPhone SE4 might provide some boost, the SE series typically does not make a significant impact on the market.
Furthermore, Kuo is not very optimistic about the upcoming iPhone 17 series, expected in 2025. Rumors suggest that the series will rely exclusively on eSIM technology, eliminating physical SIM slots entirely. This could pose a major challenge for Chinese consumers, as many mobile operators in the region do not yet support eSIM.
According to Kuo’s forecast, Apple could sell 225 million iPhone units globally in 2025. Although this would be a slight increase from the 220 million units estimated for 2024, it still falls short of the previously anticipated 240 million units. Source: GSM Arena.
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