Apple’s China iPhone sales jumped 22% in month after iPhone 17 launch

By Che Pan and Brenda Goh

BEIJING (Reuters) -Sales of ​iPhones in China rose 22% ‌from year-earlier levels in the first month after the ‌iPhone 17 series launched, even as the broader market softened, a private survey showed on Friday.

The new lineup drove most of ⁠Apple‘s smartphone ‌sales in China in the period from the September 19 launch, ‍with the 17 series accounting for nearly four-fifths of units sold to consumers, according to ​the data from research firm Counterpoint.

Sales of ‌iPhones in China were down 5% during the first month after the iPhone 16 line launched in September 2024.

The iPhone 17 launch drew hundreds of people to Apple’s Beijing ⁠flagship on release day -​ a sign of continued ​enthusiasm for the brand, despite intensifying competition from Xiaomi and Huawei.

China’s ‍smartphone market ⁠remained weak amid subdued consumer demand, with third‑quarter sales down 2.7%⁠ year on year, Counterpoint said.

(Reporting ‌by Che Pan and Brenda Goh; ‌Editing by William Mallard)