• China’s two-week Singles’ Day sales period this year saw sales volumes decline 9% compared to the equivalent period last year.
• Subdued market demand amid economic headwinds weighed down consumer enthusiasm for promotions.
• Major Chinese OEMs except Huawei launched new flagship models ahead of the shopping period.
• Apple saw a double-digit YoY decline in iPhone sales as it faced pressure from an abnormally high number of competitor flagships being launched just before and during the festival sales period.
• Huawei enjoyed the biggest growth of 7% YoY, followed by OPPO and vivo.
  

Beijing, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, San Diego, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo – Nov 20, 2024

China’s Singles’ Day festival this year (Weeks 44-45 of 2024) saw smartphone sales volume falling 9% compared to the same period last year (Weeks 44-45 of 2023), according to Counterpoint’s China Smartphone Weekly Model Sales Tracker. Subdued market demand amid economic headwinds weighed down consumer enthusiasm for promotions.

To capitalize on one of the biggest sales festivals of the year, major Chinese OEMs except Huawei launched their latest flagships ahead of the festival. Last year, only Xiaomi had introduced its flagships beforehand. However, the early launch of flagship models affects the sales volume of older models to some extent.

The performance of major OEMs varied during the festival. Huawei stood out with the most impressive growth of 7% YoY, thanks to generous price cuts on the Pura 70 series and Mate 60 series as well as the newly launched Nova 13 series with the 5G Kirin SoC. OPPO’s (excluding OnePlus) sales increased 6% YoY, mainly driven by the affordable A series, Reno 12 and the newly launched Find X8 series. vivo’s sales volume grew 5% YoY, mainly driven by the affordable Y series. The newly launched X200 series and a surge in iQOO sales also contributed to this growth.

In contrast, Xiaomi saw a 6% YoY decrease in its sales volume. Nonetheless, the newly launched Xiaomi 15 series made an impressive start during the festival as Xiaomi’s brand awareness in the mid-to-high-end segment is increasing in China.

HONOR and Apple both declined YoY by double-digit percentages. Despite the strong performance of the newly launched X60 series, HONOR’s overall sales still suffered a 15% YoY drop amid fierce market competition. The newly launched Magic 7 series only started boosting sales in Week 45 due to its later launch compared to other brands.

Apple’s sales also declined as it faced pressure from an abnormally high number of competitor flagships being launched just before and during the festival sales period. However, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max were the best-selling models during the two-week festival.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects, and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

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