Apple's iPhone sales in China drop 33 percent

In China, one of Apple’s most important markets, iPhone shipments fell by 33 percent in February compared to the same period the previous year. Thus, sales fell for the second month in a row. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology, iPhone sales in China fell by 33 percent last month. Smartphone sales of international brands totaled only 2.4 million last month. Despite the decline, Apple had the largest share in international sales. Apple sold 5.5 million units in China in January. The latest phone models of Huawei, the US technology giant’s main rival in the premium smartphone segment in China, were effective in Apple’s decreasing market share. Apple’s sales fell by 24 percent in the first 6 weeks of this year. The total smartphone market in China also shrank by almost a third in February. This showed that consumers are reluctant to consume luxury products. Analysts expect the decline in iPhone sales to continue for the rest of the year. Analysts led by Edison Lee from Jefferies expect iPhone sales to fall by more than 20 percent this year, leading the market to losses.