Thanks To New iPhones, Apple's Share Of The Chinese Smartphone Market To Double
by Joe White
September 26, 2013
Thanks to the success of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in China, Apple's share of the country's smartphone market is expected to double in 2014, according to new research.
The data comes from IDC, which published a report on the world's largest smartphone market recently. The firm anticipates that by 2014, China's smartphone shipments are to exceed 450 million, and that as an operating system, the iPhone's iOS is expected to double its share of the nation's smartphone market.
Preference among customers for low-cost handsets has helped drive Samsung and Lenovo's share of the market. IDC notes that the South Korean company presently holds an impressive 18.3 percent of China's smartphone market, while Lenovo holds 12.6 percent. Apple, on the other hand, isn't even one of the country's top five smartphone vendors.
James Yan with IDC China said:
The sharp increase in shipments of low-end China Mobile smartphones has driven the growth of Lenovo and Coolpad. On a separate note, affected by the sluggish sales of iPhone 5, Apple's market share has declined dramatically, but its performance is expected to remarkably improve with the launch of the new iPhone.IDC attributes Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, along with a potential deal with China Mobile, as major reasons behind the anticipated growth of iOS in the country. As a reminder, though no deal has been formally announced, China Mobile - China's largest carrier - is expected to offer a selection of iPhones in the coming months. Once this occurs, you can expect Apple's meagre share of the Chinese smartphone market to increase - but by how much, exactly, of course remains to be seen. We'll keep you updated with further information as we receive it. In the meantime, see: All Engines Go For NimbleBit's Long-Awaited Pocket Planes Follow-Up, Pocket Trains, Google Shopping Express Same-Day Delivery Service Now Available On iOS, and Today's Best Apps: Ration, Buddy & Me And Connect - 4.