Apple’s China smartphone shipments slide 9% in first quarter

Apple’s shipments of smartphones in China slumped 9 per cent in the first quarter from a year earlier and it was the only major manufacturer to see a decline, according to data from research firm IDC.

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Apple, which ranks fifth in China’s smartphone market, saw shipments fall to 9.8 million phones, giving it a market share of 13.7 per cent, down from 17.4 per cent in the previous quarter.

It was Apple’s seventh straight quarter of decline.

By contrast, market leader Xiaomi 1810.HK saws its shipments surge 40 per cent to 13.3 million while industry-wide shipments grew 3.3 per cent.

IDC analyst Will Wong said Apple’s premium pricing structure has prevented the US company from capitalising on new government subsidies introduced in January which fuelled growth in the first quarter.

The government subsidies for smartphones and some other consumer electronics refund consumers 15 per cent of products with a sticker price under 6,000 yuan ($820).