SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) and its Android rivals saw sales slide in the first quarter in China, research firm Canalys reported on Thursday, as consumers continued to tighten their belts following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
The iPhone maker was the top-selling brand over the first three months of the year, with 20% market share. But its overall shipments in China fell to 13.3 million units, a 3% decrease from the same period in 2022.
Sales for all other top-selling brands also fell, with total smartphone shipments dropping 11% year-on-year to 67.2 million units, the lowest quarterly total since 2013.
Despite being the best-selling brand in the quarter, Apple saw its total market share fall 3 percentage points year-on-year.
Oppo and Vivo, Android brands that trail Apple as the second and third best-sellers, saw shipments fall 10% and 7% respectively.
Honor and Xiaomi Corp, which specialize in low-end models, saw shipments fall 35% and 20% respectively, suggesting consumers shied away from phone purchases even at the cheapest prices.
China's GDP grew 4.5% in the first quarter, beating expectations, and policy makers in Beijing are working on plans to further stimulate demand. However, economists expect most Chinese consumers and businesses to spend cautiously over the coming year.