Apple’s iPhone sales surged to the top spot in China in May, with global sales increasing by 15 percent year-on-year during April and May, marking the tech giant’s strongest performance for this two-month period since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from Counterpoint Research.
The growth in global sales was mainly fueled by a resurgence in Apple’s two largest markets, China and the United States. The company benefited from tariff evasion strategies and also saw double-digit growth in Japan, India, and the Middle East, Counterpoint noted.
Q2 iPhone performance looks promising, but fluctuations will depend on the U.S. and China markets, Reuters reported, citing Ivan Lam, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
Foreign phone shipments in China increase YoY
Data from the government-affiliated China Academy of Information and Communications Technology indicated that April shipments of foreign-branded phones in China rose to 3.52 million units, up from 3.50 million a year earlier.
Despite facing heightened competition from domestic rivals, Apple has implemented price cuts to maintain its market position. In May, Chinese e-commerce platforms offered discounts of up to 2,530 yuan ($351) on the latest iPhone 16 models.
