Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) saw a little less love from consumers in China on that country’s recent Singles Day shopping festival.
The iPhone maker’s smartphone sales fell 4% year over year during the two-week period from October 30 to November 12, Reuters reported, citing data from Counterpoint Research.
By contrast, the number of units sold by competitors Huawei and Xiaomi climbed 66% and 28%, respectively, year over year during the same period.
Demand for Chinese smartphone brands lifted overall smartphone sales in China by 5% over last year during the promotion period.
Apple's latest iPhone 15 model sells for about US$832 in China, while Huawei's Mate 60 smartphones start at US$763, and Xiaomi's latest Mi 14 smartphone is priced from US$555.
Apple launched its iPhone 15 series in late September, about a month after Huawei began selling the Mate 60 smartphone line.
Counterpoint analysts attributed Apple's disappointing performance to supply chain issues that have constrained the availability of its new iPhone 15 models.
They expect the situation to normalize soon, though, with research firm IDC stating it expects sales to grow year over year in the fourth quarter after 10 consecutive quarters of declining shipments.
Shares of Apple have gained nearly 11% over the past month as of Wednesday’s closing price.
Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com