Apple single-handedly drives Singles’ Day smartphone sales growth in China

Strong demand for Apple’s iPhone during China’s Singles’ Day shopping festival single-handedly drove growth in smartphone sales during the period, research firm Counterpoint said on Thursday.

Apple accounted for 26% of all smartphones sold over the month-long event, with total sales across brands increasing 3% from a year earlier.

Sales of Apple’s iPhone 17 were particularly brisk, Counterpoint said. Excluding Apple, Singles’ Day smartphone sales declined 5% overall, “reflecting a cautious consumer environment drained of momentum”, it said.