Apple is off to a “disappointing start” to the iPhone 15 in China, with a report on Monday claiming that sales of the iPhone 15 are down 4.5% compared with the iPhone 14 over their first 17 days after release.
According to Bloomberg, which cites market tracker Counterpoint Research, the decline could be attributed to stubbornly weak consumption as well as the rise of rivals like Huawei.
Over the past few weeks, China has shown strong support for Huawei’s introduction of the Mate 60 Pro smartphone, even amidst the US sanctions imposed on the company.
Additionally, the Chinese government has prohibited its officials from using iPhones in official capacities, citing concerns about security, which could have deterred some prospective customers from upgrading to the iPhone 15.