Apple Inc being China's fifth bestselling smartphone brand in the second quarter of 2017, the iPhone maker makes the biggest leap catapulting itself as the most popular brand in the country. Stark rival Samsung Electronics Co, however, continues to struggle, only ranking sixth despite the promising Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.
According to a report released on Wednesday by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Samsung has so far shipped a total of 48 million smartphones in China as of June, placing itself in the sixth spot. This figure is only 3 per cent of the market share in the country. In the opening quarter of 2016, Samsung secured the fourth spot.
Also read: Samsung aims to ship over 11 million Galaxy Note units worldwide
Samsung's market drop is brought by the preference of Chinese consumers for affordable handsets, which are a good alternative to Samsung's high-end devices without sacrificing quality. Even so, the association did not mention why Apple has secured the top spot given the market's preference.
Apple has reportedly sold 171 million units in the country followed by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd with 132 million units, Oppo Electronics Corp with 124 million, Vivo with 108 million and Xiaomi Inc with 68 million.
Overall, 63 per cent of mobile phones used in China in the second quarter is low and mid-range products with a price tag not exceeding US$306. Only 6.4 per cent made up the premium category, which is dominated by iPhone.
Despite that, Samsung remains the world's top-selling smartphone brand, shipping more than 89 million units in the last quarter alone which is 20.5 per cent of the global market.
