For the first time in four years, Apple is not among the five most popular smartphone manufacturers in China. iPhone shipments in the country fell by 3.1% in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, writes Bloomberg with reference to a new IDC report.

Shipments of Android smartphones grew by 11% year-on-year. From now on, the top five most popular manufacturers in China include only local companies – vivo, Huawei, OPPO, Honor, and Xiaomi. Apple ranks sixth.

Other research companies have also published their reports. According to Canalys, iPhone shipments decreased by 3.9% during this period, and according to Counterpoint Research, which tracks sales to end users, the drop was 5.7%

A few months ago, Apple seemed to be on its way to regaining ground in the Chinese market. Data from the Beijing government showed growth of more than 40% in April and May, but shipments fell in June due to concerns about profitability among local partners.

There is also a difference between what data is reported by the Beijing government and what data is taken into account in the IDC report. The government keeps track of the number of registered smartphones before they reach stores. In turn, IDC and other similar research companies look at actual shipments, which closely correlate with sales.

The situation on the global market is also quite similar. Earlier it was reported that Samsung was able to regain its position as the world’s >leading smartphone supplier, Apple took second place, but Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, vivo, and Oppo are actively catching up.