Apple's iPhone 15 unveiled on September 12 received mixed reactions in China, the tech giant's third-largest market. While many Chinese consumers praised its faster chip and enhanced gaming capabilities, others continued to favor Huawei's latest smartphone offerings.
China remains a pivotal market for Apple, and the company has held a dominant position in China's premium smartphone sector, largely attributed to the challenges faced by Huawei Technologies due to U.S. export controls. However, as the iPhone 15 made its debut, it came under scrutiny following reports of Chinese government agencies and state firms banning their employees from using the phone. Simultaneously, Huawei launched a new smartphone with an advanced chip, signaling its intent to make a comeback.
The online discussion around the iPhone 15's unveiling was fervent, with the new models historically sparking intense conversations. The iPhone 15 will be available for online purchase in China on Alibaba's Tmall marketplace on September 15, and in physical stores on September 22.
Conversations surrounding the iPhone 15 launch garnered an impressive 380 mn views on the social media platform Weibo, along with over 800,000 discussions, including posts, comments, and likes about the new device.
Many users celebrated the iPhone 15 Pro's new 3-nanometer chip and Apple's assertion that console-quality games, such as "Resident Evil 4 Remake," can be played on the device, appealing to China's substantial community of mobile gamers.
However, some social media users expressed reservations about choosing an American brand over a domestically made competitor, especially after state media had recently lauded the release of Huawei's Mate 60 Pro as a triumph for China over U.S. sanctions.
A survey conducted by the Chinese news portal Sina on social media asked participants if they would opt for the Mate 60 or iPhone 15. The results showed 61,000 votes in favor of the Huawei device, compared to 24,000 for the iPhone 15.
Comparisons between the capabilities of the Mate 60 Pro, which can make calls and send texts via satellite, and the iPhone 15, which is limited to sending satellite texts, generated substantial discussion.
"The iPhone 15 can only send SOS messages via satellite, using last-generation technology already deployed in Huawei's Mate 60, which supports full satellite calling," one user pointed out.
China's smartphone market, much like the global sector, is currently facing a slowdown, and analysts cautioned that this, combined with the country's economic deceleration, could potentially affect iPhone 15 sales. Earlier in the year, Apple's third-party retailers introduced rare discounts on the iPhone 14 Pro, as much as 10%, which boosted sales but could also undermine demand for the latest series.
Archie Zhang, a research analyst at Counterpoint, noted;
"This is not a good signal for the upcoming 15 series as some demands have been fulfilled before the launch. Before Huawei's surprise launch, we projected Apple's sales in China for Q3 and Q4 to be flat or slightly weaker than last year."
Will Wong, an analyst with the industry research group IDC, recognized recent developments in the public sector and Huawei's competitive presence as challenges for Apple.
"Sales of the iPhone 15 are not going to be easy, especially since Chinese consumers are either being cautious in spending or have shifted their focus to leisure or travel," he stated.
IDC expects Apple's share in China's premium phone market to gradually decline due to increased competition from Huawei. As of the first half of 2023, Apple held a 67% market share for phones priced over $600, with Huawei following closely at 15.6%.
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