14 DAY TRIAL // Apple was the top-selling mobile brand in China on the Singles Day, which is the equivalent of Black Friday in the local market.
The leading retailer in the country, Alibaba, revealed that most customers purchased iPhones during the November 11 shopping holiday, so the Cupertino-based tech giant made more than 100 million yuan (approximately $14.3 million) in just a single day.
While no details were offered on what iPhone models sold the best in China, Apple managed to beat local companies like Huawei and Xiaomi, which landed second and third, respectively.
Most likely, buyers purchased older iPhone models available at discounted prices, though there’s a chance the arrival of the 2018 lineup helped too. However, it’s worth noting that iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are both very expensive, whereas the iPhone XR is the most affordable 2018 iPhone, but lacking certain features like the dual-camera configuration.
Special 2018 iPhones in China
Neil Shah, research director at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC that Apple beating local companies is good news for the Cupertino giant when it comes to sales in China, especially because it has to compete against fast-growing names like Huawei.
At this point, Samsung continues to be the world’s leading phone manufacturer, while Huawei has already managed to overtake Apple globally.
“It’s a positive sign for Apple, because normally Xiaomi or Huawei has been the top brand. This shows the Chinese smartphone users are maturing fast and they are looking to buy more high end devices, which is a good sign not only for Apple but other brands,” the analyst explains.
Apple is selling special versions of its 2018 iPhones in China. While iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR are offered with dual-SIM capabilities in global markets using a traditional SIM and eSIM combination, Chinese customers get support for two standard SIM cards and a custom tray design to accommodate them.