Sales of foreign-branded mobile phones in China, notably including those from tech giant Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), experienced a significant downturn in May, falling by 9.7% year-on-year.
Data released on Friday by the government-affiliated China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) revealed that shipments of foreign-branded handsets dropped to 4.54 million units for the month, compared to the same period last year.
Apple, as the dominant foreign mobile phone manufacturer in China's fiercely competitive smartphone market, plays a crucial role in these overall figures.
The company has been grappling with intensifying competition from robust domestic rivals and has resorted to price reductions to maintain its market position.
In May, Chinese e-commerce platforms heavily discounted Apple's latest iPhone 16 models, with some offerings reaching up to 2,530 yuan (approximately $351) in price cuts.
While the CAICT data did not provide specific shipment figures for Apple alone, the broad decline in foreign-branded phone sales suggests that these efforts may not have fully offset the competitive pressures.
The broader mobile phone market in China also saw a substantial decline, with total phone shipments within the country down 21.8% year-on-year to 23.72 million handsets for May.