Apple’s descent from the top of China’s smartphone market in 2024 signals a seismic shift in the competitive landscape of one of the world’s largest smartphone markets. Data from Canalys highlights a 17% decline in Apple’s shipments across the country,

Apple has been dethroned as the leading smartphone seller in China, with Vivo and Huawei taking the lead. The Cupertino-based company's annual shipments in China fell by 17% in 2024, according to data from research firm Canalys.

It was Apple’s largest annual smartphone sales decline in China since 2016 and involved contraction in all four quarters, including a 25% drop in the final quarter, according to the data.