Apple Loses Ground To Huawei In China But Dominates India’s Premium Smartphone Market

In 2024, the Smartphone market for Apple presented stark contrasts for its businesses in India and China. According to the latest report from Counterpoint’s Market Pulse Service, Apple’s market share in China dwindled to 17.1 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2024, trailing behind local giant Huawei at 18.1 per cent, which saw a significant boost in sales by 15.5 per cent year-over-year (YoY).

Huawei’s rise to the top, the first since the United States (US) ban, was fueled by strong performances from their mid-range Nova 13 and high-end Mate 70 series. 

This growth was a bright spot in China’s overall smartphone market, which declined by 3.2 per cent Year over Year (YoY) in the fourth Quarter (Q4) of 2024, marking the only quarterly contraction in 2024. 

On the other hand, Apple, despite its premium offerings, witnessed a staggering 18.2 per cent YoY decline in China, underlining its struggle in the fiercely competitive and constrained market.

In contrast, Apple's performance in India tells a completely different story. Between January and September 2024, Apple led the value market in India with an impressive $7.96 billion in shipments, leaving Samsung behind at $5.23 billion. 

This secured Apple a dominant 27 per cent share of the value market in India. Interestingly, this figure also highlights Apple’s competitive edge, capturing the second-highest value share of 22 per cent in the overall Indian smartphone market, closely trailing Samsung’s 17.7 per cent.