Apple and Oppo compete for the top spot in China

The latest figures from IDC show that Oppo is ahead of Apple's iPhone in terms of smartphone shipments, with a 19.6% share. Meanwhile, estimates from CounterPoint and Canalys put Apple's phone in the lead, but not too far behind the Chinese brand.

The smartphone market here saw double-digit declines for much of last year, starting with Android smartphones before affecting the US manufacturer's iPhone.

Official data showed smartphone output fell 13.8% in the world's second-largest economy this year, despite signs of recovery in the broader economy.

Canalys said shipments to the mainland fell 11% in the first quarter from a year earlier, the lowest level in a decade. IDC said price cuts on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models helped the situation in February, although Apple’s gold version failed to make a significant impact.

According to IDC , Oppo sold more premium devices than expected in the first three months of the year, thanks to the return of its OnePlus brand to the domestic market and positive reception of its flip phones. Meanwhile, Samsung, the world's leading flip phone maker, has a modest presence in the market, while local manufacturers all have at least one flip phone on sale.

However, none of the five biggest Chinese brands posted positive growth. Vivo, Honor Mobile and Xiaomi were the leaders, but all saw significant declines year-on-year.

“The pandemic has impacted consumer behavior in the medium to long term, with consumers spending more on necessities and maintaining savings,” said Lucas Zhong, an analyst at Canalys . “Therefore, manufacturers need to have compelling products that can make consumers open their wallets.”

(According to Bloomberg)

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