Apple has allegedly sold fewer iPhone 15 units in China than the iPhone 14 when it first came out last year, according to market research cited in a new Bloomberg report.
The sales performance of the iPhone 15 appears to be 4.5% worse compared to its predecessor over the first 17 days that both lineups were first made available in the market, according to analysis from Counterpoint Research seen by Bloomberg. Another analysis gathered by Jefferies paints an even gloomier picture for Apple as they predict an even sharper double-digit sales decline for the iPhone 15.
There are a number of reasons why Apple is experiencing weaker-than-expected demand for the iPhone 15. Firstly, the Chinese economy is allegedly still suffering from the effects of COVID-19 and associated lockdowns. Analyses also blame the “surprising debut” of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro amid harsh United States sanctions that forbade Western-affiliated chipmakers from dealing with Chinese companies.
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However, it’s not all bad news for Apple. Counterpoint Research says that the iPhone 15 sales in the US have experienced “back-to-back stellar weekends,” suggesting that sales in the biggest iPhone market in the world could make up for some of the undergoing decline in China.
Bloomberg adds that this could be the worst new iPhone market debut since the iPhone XS and iPhone XR in 2018. The recent ban on iPhone use for government officials might have also played a hand in the reported iPhone 15 sluggish sales, with Jefferies even claiming that Huawei is on track to be the top smartphone brand in China going into 2024.
Apple will announce its fiscal Q4 2023 earnings on November 2 which includes the first week of iPhone 15 sales. Apple’s figures then should give us an early glimpse of how its latest and greatest iPhone is faring.
