iPhone Takes Top Spot in China for First Time Despite Challenges

(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc.’s iPhone was the top-selling smartphone in China for the first time last year, a surprisingly strong showing in the face of fierce local competition and expanding government prohibitions against the American company’s technology.

The iPhone series ranked first in shipments in the fourth quarter and 2023 overall, market tracker IDC, the International Data Corporation, said. It came after several analysts, including Jefferies, said iPhone sales tanked in the fourth quarter due to a lull in enthusiasm for the Cupertino, California company’s latest generation of hardware in the world’s biggest smartphone market. IDC also noted rising competition from domestic names such as a resurgent Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., but timely discounts and promotions helped reduce the harm for Apple.