Purchase of Foreign-branded mobiles, in April, increased very slightly, on comparison with last year, according to data released by a government-linked research house today.
The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) said 3.52 million foreign-branded mobile phones were shipped in April 2025, slightly higher than 3.50 million the same month last year.
This small growth trend comes after a tough first quarter for foreign brands, namely Apple, which experienced a 9% YoY drop in sales in the quarter mentioned.
With the vastness of the smartphone on the telephone in the China Market, as the leading foreign mobile phone manufacturer in China, Apple’s performance has a huge impact on the overall performance of this category.
The minimal recovery in April can be explained by the fierce price war launched by foreign players to retaliate against a rise in competition from domestic manufacturers. Significantly, Chinese e-commerce sites have been discounting Apple’s latest iPhone 16 models by as much as 2,530 yuan (about $351). This is quite a departure from Apple’s usual high-end pricing in China.
Market watchers say these discounts may drive up short-term sales once they are implemented, but demonstrate the fierce competition handset makers face in their homeland from Chinese brands Huawei and Xiaomi.
They now offer models with similar functions at more appealing price ranges, some of which have become hits for value-driven consumers in China.
In the first quarter of 2025, Chinese company Huawei surpassed as the number one vendor of smartphones in China, while Xiaomi and Vivo round out the top three with, respectively and other group make up the remainder of the smartphone vendors.
During that same period of time: Apple’s rank is #5, proving the domestic brands included into the share of sales. Modest rise in foreign branded car sales in April indicate a possible dip in the trend, but this may not be enough in the future with significant players in the local market and changing tastes and preferences of customers.
However, for foreign mobile phone brands, the success in Chinese market in the long-term may be greatly associated with whether they can be innovative, appropriately price their products, and correctly figure out the real needs of Chinese consumers.