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Apple is trying to assure investors that its iPhone business in China remains strong despite current fears about the growing influence of Huawei. In interviews, company CEO Tim Cook even underscored the success of the iPhone in the Chinese market, saying some of its smartphone models are the best sellers in China and that the latest iPhone 15 series has been performing better than its predecessor.
The comments came during the company’s fiscal year 2023 Q4 earnings results report, with Apple trying to maintain its powerful status in the market. One particular point the iPhone maker is trying to underscore is its business in China, which is now being threatened by the resurgence of Huawei through its Mate 60 series.
According to previous reports, the iPhone 15 saw weak sales during its first 17 days in China. This is affirmed by the actions of some platforms offering huge discounts on iPhones in order to encourage demand. During the same period, the Huawei Mate 60 Pro reportedly outsold Apple, with some analysts believing that Huawei will beat Apple in 2024.
Cook tried to negate the claims.
“In mainland China, we set a quarterly record for the September quarter for iPhone,” Cook told Reuters. “We had four out of the top five best-selling smartphones in urban China.”
The CEO also stressed the strength of the iPhone 15 outside China, further opposing earlier reports about the weak overall performance of the new line versus the earlier iPhone 14.
“If you look at iPhone 15 for that period of time and compare it to iPhone 14 for the same time in the year-ago quarter, iPhone 15 did better than iPhone 14,” Cook told CNBC, adding the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max supply constraints were the only reason that led to the downfall of its total iPhone revenue.
In general, Apple’s iPhone revenue dropped from $205.5 billion last year to $200.6 billion this year. On a positive note, it saw growth in the company’s fourth fiscal quarter of 2023. According to the giant, this sector reached $43.8 billion, an increase from the previous $42.6 billion in the same period last year. As Apple reported, it saw a September quarter revenue record for iPhone.
