Apple's smartphone sales in China declined in Q3, while Huawei experienced significant growth.

Apple's iPhone sales in China experienced a slight decline of 0.3 percent, while its competitor Huawei saw a remarkable increase of 42 percent in the third quarter of 2024, highlighting the intensifying competition in the world's largest smartphone market.

According to data from IDC released on Friday, Apple secured the second position with a 15.6 percent market share, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous year. In contrast, Huawei moved up to third place with a 15.3 percent share, gaining 4.2 percentage points.

Vivo, known for its budget-friendly smartphones, led the market with an 18.6 percent share. These differing results come after Huawei's resurgence in the premium segment last year with its Mate 60 series, which analysts noted featured a domestically produced chip. Additionally, Huawei further challenged Apple's market position with the recent launch of its Pura 70 model.

Apple has encountered further challenges in China, including restrictions on iPhone usage by certain government agencies. In response, the American tech giant has implemented several discount initiatives to stimulate sales.

The performance in the third quarter was bolstered by the introduction of the new iPhone 16, which became available on September 20. On the same day, Huawei unveiled a competing tri-foldable phone. Initial sales of the new iPhones in China were promising, showing a 20 percent increase in the first three weeks post-launch compared to the 2023 models, according to separate data from Counterpoint.

IDC noted, "With its annual new product launch, Apple returned to China’s top five market rankings with a 15.6 percent market share." The firm also indicated that with increased market promotions and the launch of Apple Vision Pro, demand for the iPhone 16 series is anticipated to grow gradually in the future.

Overall, smartphone sales in China for the third quarter rose by 3.2 percent, totaling 68.78 million units.