Sales of foreign phones in China decline by 47%, posing challenges for Apple.

• In November, the number of foreign mobile phone shipments in China decreased by 47.4% compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 3.04 million units, as calculated by CNBC using official Chinese data.
• In China, the majority of foreign mobile phone shipments are accounted for by Apple, while major competitors like Samsung have a small market share.
• The increasing competition from domestic brands is putting immense pressure on Apple in the world's largest smartphone market, as shown by the figures.

In November, the sales of foreign phone brands in China dropped, as per official data released on Friday, adding to the mounting pressure on Samsung, the largest international handset vendor in the country.

In November, the number of foreign mobile phone shipments in China was 3.04 million units, as calculated by CNBC using data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

The drop in sales from November 2023 to October last year was 51%, while the decline from November 2023 to the same month the previous year was 47.4%.

Although CAICT does not provide figures for individual brands, Apple dominates the foreign mobile phone market in China, with Samsung having a minimal presence.

Apple faces increasing competition from domestic brands in the world's largest smartphone market, as shown by the figures.

In 2023, Huawei, whose handset business was affected by U.S. sanctions, experienced a resurgence in the back end and launched high-end smartphones in China that were well-received by local buyers.

In the third quarter of last year, IDC's data showed that Huawei's growth surpassed Apple.

The iPhone 16 series, launched in September, aims to help Apple regain momentum in China by introducing new AI features through its Apple Intelligence software.

Apple Intelligence is not yet accessible in China because of the intricate regulations governing AI in the country.

Some of Apple's domestic competitors have already released AI features on their devices.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, made multiple trips to China in 2019 to strengthen partnerships with local Chinese companies for Apple Intelligence.

Apple will offer discounts on the iPhone 16 starting on Saturday as part of a Chinese New Year holiday promotion to boost sales.