Apple noticed its first year-over-year iPhone gross sales progress in China in two years through the second quarter of 2025, in keeping with new knowledge from Counterpoint Research, marking a brief reversal of a chronic decline in one in all its most strategically vital markets.
The info signifies that iPhone gross sales in mainland China grew 8% year-over-year between April 1 and June 22, 2025. This era represents Apple’s first quarterly gross sales improve within the area because the second quarter of 2023. The expansion is attributed primarily to aggressive worth changes in Might, forward of the nation’s mid-year 618 procuring pageant, and bolstered by a nationwide subsidy program that supported smartphone purchases.
In Might, Chinese language e-commerce platforms akin to JD.com and Tmall began providing heavy reductions on the iPhone 16 lineup, in some instances providing as much as 2,530 yuan ($351) off retail costs. Concurrently, Apple elevated the worth of trade-in credit for older iPhone fashions to incentivize upgrades. Choose units priced beneath 6,000 yuan purchased directly from Apple additionally certified for as much as 500 yuan in authorities subsidies, with sure Mac fashions eligible for reductions of as a lot as 2,000 yuan.
Apple’s rebound in China follows a chronic downturn. From the third quarter of 2022 by means of the primary quarter of 2025, Apple skilled year-over-year income declines in China for all however one quarter. Contributing elements included persistent commerce tensions, regulatory strain, restrictions on iPhone use in government-linked workplaces, and competitors from resurgent home manufacturers. Within the first quarter of 2025, Apple was the one main smartphone producer to report a cargo decline in China.
In the course of the second quarter of 2025, Huawei led all producers in China by progress and market share, posting a 12% year-over-year gross sales improve, adopted by Vivo, which skilled a 9% decline. Apple ranked third in total unit shipments.
Apple additionally faces competitors from Xiaomi and Oppo, which proceed to focus on price-sensitive segments with {hardware} choices which can be broadly comparable with Apple’s, however at a decrease price. Counterpoint claims that the Chinese language smartphone market as an entire grew by roughly 1% through the quarter.
Nonetheless, Counterpoint analysts warn that Apple’s progress within the second quarter could not persist into the second half of the 12 months, partly as a result of the nationwide subsidy on smartphones is prone to be scaled again through the second half of 2025.
China is an important marketplace for Apple. The nation is believed to account for round 20% of worldwide iPhone gross sales. Apple is scheduled to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings on July 31, which ought to embody remaining figures for the April to June interval coated within the Counterpoint evaluation. The outcomes ought to offer a fuller image of the corporate’s efficiency in China and different world markets.