Apple's iPhone has been toppled as the number one selling smartphone in China for the first time since 2012, this has made them "vulnerable" in the world's second-largest economy, according to a report released Friday.
The iPhone 6s sold 12 million units in 2016 which is about 2% of all phones sold in China, behind the "Oppo R9" which is the flagship smartphone of the Chinese brand Oppo Electronics. Oppo sold about 17 million units or 4% market share for all phones, according to Counterpoint Research. Oppo is one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in China which has made its name through high-spec low-priced devices, being sold through bricks and mortar stores. This is the first time that Apple iPhone has been toppled on the top in China in five years.
The Cupertino, CA-based company has been having difficulty in sales for the last few quarters. From July up to September 24, 2016, Greater China revenue fell 30% year-on-year. Apple has been on a charm offensive, visiting China last year, and announced a $45 million research and development center in Beijing. Its market share has fallen from 14.3% in 2015, to 10.4% last year in China, Counterpoint said.
Apple has been squeezed by other players like Huawei and Oppo. Oppo and Vivo have released high-quality but lower priced devices and are aggressively taking market share. Oppo's shipments were up by 109% year-on-year in China, while Vivo saw a 78% increase. Huawei was up by 21%, but Apple was down 21%.
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