Apple Was Fastest Growing Smartphone Brand in China in Second Quarter, Buoyed By Strong iPhone SE Sales - MacRumors
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Apple Was Fastest Growing Smartphone Brand in China in Second Quarter, Buoyed By Strong iPhone SE Sales

Apple's iPhone was the fastest-growing smartphone brand in China in the second quarter, according to data published by Counterpoint Research.

Counterpoint YoY growth of smartphone sales units in Q1 2020 China market by OEMs
Bouncing back from the decline in the market in Q1 following the global health crisis, Apple grew 32% year on year thanks to the continued popularity of its iPhone 11 lineup and heavy discounting at an annual shopping festival that Apple doesn't usually participate in.

This year's new iPhone SE also entered into the top three best-selling iPhones in the quarter, mirroring the more affordable device's performance in the United States in the same quarter.

Apple's reversal of fortunes in China are particularly impressive given that it saw an almost 60 percent slump in iPhone sales in February compared to the previous year, shifting fewer than 500,000 handsets across the country.

The surge in iPhone sales in Q2 comes amid a 17% year-on-year decline in overall smartphone sales in China. In addition, one third of total smartphone sales during the quarter were 5G devices, which is the highest adoption of 5G in the world and bodes well for Apple's 5G "iPhone 12" lineup, expected this fall.

Tag: China

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Top Rated Comments

76 months ago
Apple is the only the brand that offers high quality flagships with small dimensions 🤗
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago

The research suggests they're buying iPhone SEs, not iPhone 11 Pros.
iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago

Apple is the only the brand that offers high quality flagships with small dimensions 🤗
The research suggests they're buying iPhone SEs, not iPhone 11 Pros.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boss.king Avatar
76 months ago

iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.
You may want to look up what the word flagship means.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago

iPhone anything is flagships. SE is just the lower end of the premium market.
They're not the same thing.

It is a premium phone. It is a very good phone. But it is most definitely not a flagship model unless you're saying it is - objectively, not subjectively because you have small hands - better than an iPhone 11 Pro.

https://www.wired.com/review/apple-iphone-se-2020/
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
76 months ago
Strong sales on a cheap iPhone, who would have thought it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)