iPhone sales fall 4% despite launch of Apple Intelligence

It was also analyzed that iPhone shipments would fall by 4% in the fourth quarter of 2024, when Apple's generative artificial intelligence (AI) feature, Apple Intelligence, was launched.
This is because the Apple Intel has yet to be released in any major markets and Chinese smartphones are on the offensive.
On the 13th (local time), Bloomberg News cited a Counterpoint Research report.
The smartphone market, which hit a 10-year low in 2023, is expected to grow 4% in 2024 and begin to recover, but Apple's annual iPhone sales are expected to fall 2% in 2024.
The iPhone's global market share is expected to fall by 1 percentage point to 18% in 2024. Quarterly data from US market analysis firm IDC showed a similar trend.
According to the report, while global smartphone shipments increased 2.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024, Apple's smartphone shipments decreased 4.1% year-on-year.
"This was a particularly notable quarter for Chinese smartphone makers," said IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.
"They posted the highest total shipments quarterly, accounting for 56% of global smartphone shipments," it said.
Apple Intelligence is not yet available in China.
Tarun Pathak, director of Counterpoint Research, said, "Apple's iPhone 16 series will be delayed due to the delay in the launch of Apple Intelligence.
"Apple has seen strong growth in non-core markets, including Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region," he said.
"iPhone sales volumes have declined, but consumers are buying Apple's ultra-high-end smartphones," said Ivan Lam, an advanced analyst at Counterpoint Research.
"There is also a trend of switching to more expensive products," he said. He also explained that the share of ultra-expensive products such as the iPhone Pro and Pro Max is increasing in China.