Apple's iPhone 7 Plus was second most-popular smartphone sold in China during 2017

Posted:
in iPhone edited December 2019
Analysis into the Chinese smartphone market reveals Apple continues to be a major force in the region, with both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus appearing in a list of the top ten mobile devices sold in the country in 2017 alongside locally-produced rivals.




The iPhone 7 Plus was the second most popular smartphone in China across the year, according to the report from research firm Counterpoint, achieving a 2.8 percent market share. The iPhone 7, Apple's other device in the top ten, reached fifth place overall with a 2.4 percent market share.

The top spot on the list was the locally-produced Oppo R95 with a 3 percents share, with the firm's A57 and R11 handsets netting fourth and sixth place with 2.6 percent and 2.3 percent shares respectively. Vivo appears twice in the rankings, with its X9 in third with a 2.7 percent share and the Y66 in seventh with 2.1 percent.

At the bottom of the top ten chart are the Honor 8 Lite in eighth with 1.9 percent, the Xiaomi RedMi Note 4X with 1.8 percent, and the Honor Enjoy 6X in tenth collecting a 1.7 percent market share.




China's smartphone market is extensively saturated with devices, consisting of a large number of domestic vendors clamoring for customers. Despite efforts to increase promotion and develop new products in the year, Counterpoint notes the Chinese smartphone market ended the year with weak demand and flat growth, despite the hype of bezel-less products in the latter half of the year.

All models that reached the top 10 achieved average monthly sales volumes of at least 1 million for the year. It is also highlighted that mid-tier models monopolized slots in the chart for the year, with the iPhone 7 series a notable exception due to being sold at a premium in the region.

The iPhone 7 series are said in the report to have demonstrated plain performance in the first half of 2017, but sales significantly improved in the second half of the year after a price cut strategy was implemented. Sales of the 128GB variant of the iPhone 7 Plus were especially energized by the change in price to under $900, effectively representing a discount of 16 percent.

The higher sales of the iPhone 7 Plus over the iPhone 7 is declared by Counterpoint to be a demonstration that price may not be the only concern among consumers in the Chinese market. Apple users may value more on better specs than extra budget, the report states.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 25
    7 Plus was a great phone, if the 10 didn’t come out last year I’d still have it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 25
    Still have mine, and still making payments on AT&T's NEXT plan. As much as I'd like a X, this bad boy's still going strong. LOVE the camera, BTW!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 25
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    The higher sales of the iPhone 7 Plus over the iPhone 7 is declared by Counterpoint to be a demonstration that price may not be the only concern among consumers in the Chinese market. Apple users may value more on better specs than extra budget, the report states.


    FFS - People in China prefer larger Screen. The Top 10 all had 5" + Screen, iPhone 7 was the only smaller screen in there.
  • Reply 4 of 25
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    But where was Samsung
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 25
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    maestro64 said:
    But where was Samsung
    Samsung was disliked in China, partly due to the dispute of the Thadd system. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 25
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 25
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    You didn't actually read your evidence did you?  I say that because everything in that article was true... for 2009.  Almost 10 years later things might be a little different.  We all understand the narrative you're trying to push.  You just need better, more timely, and more relevant evidence to help push it.   An article from nearly a decade ago is none of those things.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 8 of 25
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,593member
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 9 of 25
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    tzeshan said:
    maestro64 said:
    But where was Samsung
    Samsung was disliked in China, partly due to the dispute of the Thadd system. 
    Thadd is more like a final nail in the coffin. Samsung's Marketshare declined when Chinese counter part started to take over. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 25
    starxdstarxd Posts: 128member
    "Apple users may value more on better specs than extra budget, the report states." This is a very awkwardly worded sentence.
    edited January 2018 king editor the gratewatto_cobranetmage
  • Reply 11 of 25
    starxdstarxd Posts: 128member
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobranetmage
  • Reply 12 of 25
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,593member
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.
    edited January 2018 muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 13 of 25
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    You didn't actually read your evidence did you?  I say that because everything in that article was true... for 2009.  Almost 10 years later things might be a little different.  We all understand the narrative you're trying to push.  You just need better, more timely, and more relevant evidence to help push it.   An article from nearly a decade ago is none of those things.
    Nope, it wasn’t, which was why the writer Chen got blasted in the comments and the WIRED editors stepped in with a big “Update” that acknowledged he was at least partially full of shit. I remember it as it happened since i used to read WIRED then. Chen is a pro-troll who has consistently tried to paint the iphone as a failure, and when he claimed it was a failure in Japan the comments roasted him with facts. They were proven correct then and now. The legendary comments have been completely wiped, unfortunately, but the editorial correction remains. 

    I wouldn’t say I have a narrative — I recognize the iphone and Apple as the unparalleled ultra smash successes that they are, and like to point out the holes in he narratives of haters and trolls. I know this bothers you for obvious reasons.

    Try again.
    edited January 2018 watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 25
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    avon b7 said:
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.

    As you said, Apple's effort in China is commendable (unlike most media portraying Apple's doom in China market, but of course we all know media love their clickbait headlines). Both iPhone 7 (and +) were in top ten, and if you thought the population there is the biggest in the world, with iPhone's price point, they really did very well last year. I am sure almost all of other top ten in the list were way below iPhone's pricing, and since Apple is not in the habit of reducing price for the sake of marketshare, this indeed is an achievement. iPhone was, is still and will be extremely popular in China, regardless if they could afford it or not.
    edited January 2018 StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 25

    avon b7 said:
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.
    Yes, going from the #2 smartphone in China to the #1 smartphone.

    Only in bizarro world does this piece not dispel the hater narrative. Sucks for you, I know. 
    edited January 2018 RonnnieOwatto_cobranetmage
  • Reply 16 of 25
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member

    avon b7 said:
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.
    Yes, going from the #2 smartphone in China to the #1 smartphone.

    Only in bizarro world does this piece not dispel the hater narrative. Sucks for you, I know. 
    Yah, Avon and gatorguy make a great paring.  There isn’t any positive Apple news that they can’t parlay into “Google is just as good or better” or “it isn’t true because they didn’t post exact numbers so Apple is doomed because I haven’t seen X or Y on my way to work”.
    tmaywatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 25
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,293member
    avon b7 said:
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.
    You are, as always, pushing the Church of Marketshare, not profit share.
    watto_cobranetmage
  • Reply 18 of 25
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,267member
    When I look at that chart, I see two iPhones and eight iPhone knock-offs.
    watto_cobrachristopher126
  • Reply 19 of 25
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,593member
    tmay said:
    avon b7 said:
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.
    You are, as always, pushing the Church of Marketshare, not profit share.
    Remind me what the title of the graph in the article is. 

    I thought it was about marketshare.
  • Reply 20 of 25
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,293member
    avon b7 said:
    tmay said:
    avon b7 said:
    starxd said:
    avon b7 said:
    But but but China hates iphone. Or was that Japan*? Neither? Well shoot, there goes that narrative. 

    *https://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/
    With very low single digit marketshare with their best selling model (for a product with a limited model spread) 2017 was hardly a love story (assuming figures are confirmed).






    Ummmm... a single phone model getting nearly 3% is very good. Even the best selling phone in China only did slightly better. And added together the two 7 models are over 5%. That's great considering their high price point.
    I'm not so sure. There are so many different models from other manufacturers that even while barely breaking into the top ten of top selling models, still outstrip Apple.

    No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market.

    That said, my reference wasn't so much on how well Apple did or not (I think it's commendable - after all, the Chinese market was reportedly flat) but on the idea that this particular piece of news did away with the China hates the iPhone narrative. I don't think that was ever the case but it's clear (crystal clear IMO) that they have a long way still to go.
    You are, as always, pushing the Church of Marketshare, not profit share.
    Remind me what the title of the graph in the article is. 

    I thought it was about marketshare.
    You were the one that stated "No doubt Apple would gladly sacrifice its position in this particular top ten in exchange for a larger overall percentage in the Chinese market".

    Would they, or is that just another one of your bullet points to use against Apple? I'm speculating that Apple is in fact drawing the top profits in China of all of the manufacturers, and by a wide margin.

    Perhaps you are unhappy that Oppo, not Huawei, took the top spot; what's going on with that? I've read that Huawei, third in overall world production, is in a fight to keep ahead of Oppo and Vivo, and certainly, the AT&T fiasco has cost it dearly in its expansion in the U.S. 

    Reminds me of past leaders in the Chinese market falling on their faces with poorly executed expansion plans. Maybe Huawei will be the exception. 

    and there's this:

    http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2018/01/foxconn-delivers-50-growth-year-over-year-for-december-mainly-due-to-the-strength-of-iphone-x-orders.html

    I expect that you will be very unhappy with Apple's earning announcement on February 1, but Apple won't be.
    edited January 2018 watto_cobranetmage
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