3 Minutes
Apple quietly flipped what looked like a disappointing Singles Day into a clear win: the iPhone family was the engine behind sales growth during China’s biggest shopping festival, even as broader consumer demand showed signs of strain.
iPhone lifts a struggling festival
Data from market analysts shows Apple’s iPhone series captured 26% of smartphone sales across the one-month promotion that ended on November 11. According to Counterpoint, that share was crucial: without the iPhone 17 series, Singles Day would have registered a 5% year-on-year decline. In short, Apple’s new models turned a potential slump into growth.
Winners, losers and timing
Not every handset maker fared as well. Xiaomi claimed the second-largest slice of the market with 17% of smartphone sales, buoyed by an earlier launch of its Xiaomi 17 series that caught promo momentum. Huawei, by contrast, slipped from a 17% share in 2024 to 13% this year — its flagship Mate 80 series arrived too late to benefit from the promotion.
- Apple: 26% of smartphone sales (Singles Day period)
- Xiaomi: 17%, helped by Xiaomi 17 series timing
- Huawei: fell to 13%, missed the promotion window
Big picture: record totals, mixed signals
Despite the mixed performance across brands, Singles Day still grew overall. Chinese data firm Syntun reported 2025 sales across platforms of 1.70 trillion CNY (about $240 billion / €208 billion), up from 1.44 trillion CNY in 2024. That growth, however, masks softer consumer sentiment: worries about the property market and household income security dented shopper enthusiasm this year.
Why this matters for brands and shoppers
Timing and product momentum mattered more than ever. Brands that launched flagship phones ahead of the promotion captured attention and market share. Those that missed the window — even by a few days — lost the chance to ride Singles Day’s promotional tide. For consumers, the festival still delivers big offers; for vendors, it’s a lesson in planning and market sensitivity amid economic headwinds.
Imagine a shopping festival where one new product line can rewrite the story of the whole sale period — that’s exactly what happened for Apple this Singles Day.
Source: gsmarena
Leave a Comment