Apple tops China's mobile phone market: domestic mobile phone brands have a long way to go

Apple has been doing very well recently, with good news coming one after another.

First, after a six-year absence, Apple once again topped the Chinese mobile phone market, and later its market value exceeded the 3 trillion US dollar mark. Today, there is news that the most popular and best-selling mobile phones in the domestic market are also from Apple, and the heroes behind these good news are all the iPhone 13 series.

First, let’s talk about Apple’s re-entry into the top spot in the Chinese mobile phone market. According to CINNO Research data, in October 2021, Apple’s domestic shipments reached 6.5 million units and its market share was 22%, making it the No. 1 smartphone brand in China again after December 2015.

The iPhone 3 series contributed greatly to Apple's return to the top of the sales charts. In that month, the iPhone 13 model alone contributed sales of 2.67 million units.

The time has come to 2022. Just after the new year, Apple’s market value once exceeded 3 trillion US dollars during the trading session. Apple also became the world’s first company with a market value of over 3 trillion US dollars.

What does it mean to have a market value of over 3 trillion US dollars? According to 2020 data, Apple's current size is second only to Germany, and the iPhone is also indispensable behind its surge in market value.

Data shows that Apple achieved revenue of US$365.8 billion in fiscal year 2021, of which revenue from iPhone was as high as US$191.973 billion.

The latest news is that the most popular and best-selling mobile phone in the domestic market also comes from Apple, and it has ranked first for six consecutive weeks. This model is the iPhone 13.

Specifically, in the iPhone 13 series, the basic model is the best-selling, accounting for 51% of sales, followed by iPhone 13 Pro Max at 25%, iPhone 13 Pro at 21%, and iPhone 13 mini at 5%.

In fact, based on this, iPhone has maintained its leading position in the Chinese market for two consecutive months in October and November 2021.

What does the above situation indicate?

First, it has long been an indisputable fact that the iPhone 13 series continues to sell well. Whether it was during this year’s Double Eleven and Double Twelve periods, or in the sales ranking list released by JD.com every month, the iPhone 13 series has always occupied the first place.

I have mentioned the reasons why the iPhone 13 series is so popular many times. The system ecology and performance advantages itself, plus the more affordable price compared to the previous generation, are the main reasons for the rising sales of the iPhone 13 series. In addition, the restrictions on Huawei mobile phones have also created conditions for it.

Second, recalling that before Huawei was restricted, Huawei's shipments were 3.3 times that of Apple, second only to Samsung in the global market. It was almost impossible for Apple to surpass Huawei within two years. But the accident happened after all, and Huawei's mobile phone business suffered a setback.

Huawei is one of the few high-end brand manufacturers in China. In the absence of high-end new phones, many users have no choice but to choose the iPhone, which inadvertently contributed to Apple's current success.

The third point is that without Huawei's high-end mobile phones, can we choose high-end mobile phones from other domestic brands? After all, most domestic brands have launched an impact on the high-end market and launched many high-end flagships.

But the fact is, apart from Huawei phones, domestic users only pay attention to Apple when choosing high-end mobile phones. It is undeniable that domestic high-end flagships are extremely advanced in terms of high refresh screens, large-capacity batteries, and high-power fast charging.

But in addition to products, factors such as brand influence, brand premium, and user loyalty are the key to determining whether mobile phone manufacturers can make profits in the high-end market.

It is worth mentioning that according to the latest news, Apple is preparing for a spring conference, which is expected to be held in March or April. New products such as iPhone SE 3 will be unveiled at the conference.

More importantly, it is reported that the price of iPhone SE3 may be around 3,000 yuan, support 5G, and be equipped with A15 chip, which makes it even more attractive than iPhone 13.

After the release of this iPhone, Apple will have capable players in both the domestic mid-range and high-end markets, and will probably fully seize the domestic mobile phone market by then.

Finally, considering that the iPhone 13 series has been the best-selling and most popular mobile phone in China for six consecutive weeks, the author believes that Apple will still be the largest mobile phone manufacturer in China in December 2021.

Previously, I also said that Apple's position might fall back in the first half of 2022, but if the price of the iPhone SE3 released in the spring is only around 3,000 yuan, then it is hard to say where Apple will rank!