iPhone shipments in China plunge nearly 50% as local brands surge

What just happened? Apple is facing more problems with China, and not just those related to Trump's tariffs. Shipments of non-Chinese handsets in the country – of which iPhones make up the majority – fell by almost 50% in March, despite overall smartphone shipments increasing. Apple has long been one of the few western companies to enjoy success in China, but the popularity of its iPhones in the Asian nation is waning as local brands experience growth. According to figures released by The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), shipments of foreign handsets in China fell to just 1.89 million units in March, down 49.6% compared to the 3.75 million units that shipped during the same period a year earlier. For the entire first quarter of 2025, shipments of non-Chinese brands of smartphones fell by over 25%. However, total smartphone shipments increased by 3.3%. It means that Apple's share of the Chinese smartphone market has crashed to just 8% as domestic b ... Read full article.