Apple's New IPhone Sales in China Jump 20% in First 3 Weeks

FILE - The iPhone 15 Pro is shown after its introduction on the Apple campus, Sept. 12, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - The iPhone 15 Pro is shown after its introduction on the Apple campus, Sept. 12, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
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Apple's New IPhone Sales in China Jump 20% in First 3 Weeks

FILE - The iPhone 15 Pro is shown after its introduction on the Apple campus, Sept. 12, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - The iPhone 15 Pro is shown after its introduction on the Apple campus, Sept. 12, 2023, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Apple Inc's new iPhones got off to a strong start in China, with their sales rising 20% in their first three weeks since their launch compared with its 2023 model, according to data from research firm Counterpoint.
Both Apple and Huawei's latest smartphones went on sale in China on Sept. 20, underscoring intensifying competition in the world's biggest smartphone market where the US firm has been losing market share in recent quarters to domestic rivals, Reuters said.
"We're seeing strong iPhone 16 series unit sales in China," Counterpoint said, adding the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models were doing particularly well, with their combined sales rising 44% compared with their equivalent 2023 versions.
Overall iPhone unit sales in China, however, dropped 2% year on year during the three-week period because of decreased sales of older models and increased competition with Huawei's Mate and Pura series, it said.



Apple Boss Hails ‘Next Generation of Developers’ on China Visit 

Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Apple Boss Hails ‘Next Generation of Developers’ on China Visit 

Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 23, 2025. (AFP)

Apple boss Tim Cook on Wednesday praised "the next generation of developers" during a visit to a technology hub in eastern China, as the US tech giant battles to stay relevant in the country's vast consumer market.

The iPhone maker last year lost its status as the best-selling smartphone brand in China, but has sought to boost its ties to the country in recent months.

"Thrilled to meet the next generation of developers at Zhejiang University today," Cook said Wednesday in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that included a video of him interacting with students.

The post came as Apple announced it would donate 30 million yuan ($4.1 million) to the college to provide students with technical and business training in app development.

Based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang University is known for producing elite tech talent including Liang Wenfeng, the founder of AI startup DeepSeek.

The company stunned the world this year with a model chatbot that seemed able to match the performance of US rivals at a fraction of the cost.

Cook met China's commerce minister Wang Wentao on the sidelines of a key development forum in Beijing on Monday, with the ministry saying they "exchanged views on Apple's business development in China, China-US economic and trade ties and other topics".

In February, Chinese ecommerce titan Alibaba said it would supply AI technology to power Apple's iPhones in China.