Apple's smartphone shipments in China plunged 25% in the fourth quarter of 2024, data from research firm Canalys showed, as the iPhone maker faced mounting pressure from a resurgent Huawei in one of its biggest global markets.

The iPhone has lost its crown as the best-selling phone in China, dropping to 3rd place in the latest market intelligence data. One factor is the company’s struggle to launch Apple Intelligence features in the country after being unable to get permission to use its own generative AI model there …

Apple’s (AAPL) annual shipments in China declined 17% in 2024, with Huawei and Vivo overtaking the iPhone maker in market share, Reuters’ Liam Mo and Brenda Goh report, citing data from research from Canalys.

It was Apple’s largest annual smartphone sales decline in China since 2016 and involved contraction in all four quarters, including a 25% drop in the final quarter, according to the data.