China iPhone sales grow 225% on Q1, up 32% from last year

iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro (Image credit: Joseph Keller / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Figures show the iPhone is bouncing back in China.
  • Sales in Q2 of 2020 surged by 225% on the previous quarter.
  • That's a 32% increase on the same quarter last year.

Apple was the fastest growing manufacturer in Q2 in China, as sales of the iPhone surged by 225% on the previous quarter.

As noted by Counterpoint research:

In terms of growth, Apple was the fastest-growing key OEM during the quarter. Despite the market decline, Apple grew an impressive 32% YoY due to the continued popularity of the iPhone 11 series and price cuts. iPhone SE 2020 also quickly entered among the top 3 best-selling iPhones in Q2 2020. June was the best month in terms of smartphone sales so far this year after COVID-19 outbreak driven by surge in sales by Xiaomi (+42% MoM), Huawei (+11%) "

Apple enjoyed this growth despite the smartphone market in China declining by 17% overall compared to the same period last year. The market did recover compared to the first quarter of the year, "indicating some signs of recovery." As Counterpoint notes, whilst COVID-19 is all but contained in China, smartphone demand is yet to recover to "pre-COVID levels."

One-in-three phones sold in China was a 5G device, an encouraging sign that demand for the tech is high in the country.

According to figures from CINNO, Apple's Q2 surge marks the growth of 225% in sales. Although a massive figure, this should be understood within the context of a very poor Q1. According to CNBC, Counterpoint says that the best-selling iPhone in China remains the iPhone 11, which has consistently held the top spot since its release in September.

Apple is due to announce its Q3 results at an earnings call with investors tomorrow, Thursday, July 30.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9