According to foreign media on Jan. 10, American investment bank Jefferies reported that Apple’s sales in China are increasingly suffering due to intense competition from local Chinese smartphone manufacturers, including Huawei.

Chinese smartphone makers continue to aggressively challenge the market with cost-effective smartphones, offering high performance at competitive prices. Additionally, Chinese authorities have banned the use of foreign phones, such as iPhones, among some government officials, further impacting sales.

Huawei, before the launch of the iPhone 15 series in September last year, released its Mate60 series, powered by a Chinese-made processor. This move spurred a wave of patriotic consumption in China, earning Huawei significant acclaim. The company’s market share in China’s smartphone market in the last quarter of the year reportedly increased by 6% compared to the previous year.

In contrast, the sales of the iPhone 15 series have been disappointing. Apple’s sales in China in the first week of January decreased by approximately 30% compared to the same period last year. The company had already recorded a double-digit percentage decline in shipments last year and is expected to continue this downward trend in sales.

Moreover, Huawei is rapidly catching up to Samsung Electronics, the leader in foldable phones, by significantly increasing its sales targets for foldable phones this year. Huawei is also preparing to release a triple foldable phone, which folds in three parts, with a potential launch as early as March this year. Huawei’s goal is to ship up to 10 million foldable phones this year, more than triple last year’s figure of 2.6 million.

Due to intense competition from Chinese brands, Samsung Electronics’ global market share in foldable phones has been declining. Market research firm DSCC reported that Samsung’s share dropped from 79% in 2022 to 59% last year, while the combined share of Chinese companies like Huawei and Oppo is expected to increase from 20% to 34%.