China Overtakes U.S. to Become Biggest iPhone Market in Q2 2023

China in the second quarter became the biggest iPhone market in the world, overtaking the United States for the first time in history, based on data analyzed by global market research company TechInsights (via The Elec).

iphone 14 red
According to the research firm's Global Shipment Report, China accounted for 24% of all ‌iPhone‌ shipments in Q2 2023, while the U.S. market accounted for 21%.

The sluggish U.S. smartphone market in the second quarter is said to have been due to the psychology of consumers delaying the purchase of new phones in anticipation of new ‌iPhone‌ models launching in the second half of this year. However, TechInsight said its results at the same time reflected "China's [growing] economic power, the burgeoning middle class, and the premium phone preferences of Chinese consumers."

iPhone 14 Pro Max Was Best-Selling Model

Asian consumers have long been known to prefer larger-sized smartphones, and a separate analysis suggests this factor may have boosted overall sales of ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max models. According to Omdia's Smartphone Model Market Tracker for 2Q23, in the January-to-June period, Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max shipped 26.5 million units globally — the most out of any model from any manufacturer. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro came in second place with 21 million units.

There were no devices from Chinese manufacturers in the top 10, following double-digit declines from 2022 due to a slump in the mid- to low-end smartphone market.
techinsights iphone sales q2 2023
Last year, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 was the bestselling device on the market, indicating a preference among consumers for entry-level rather than top-end devices. The landscape appears to have changed since then, with successive smartphones offering incremental upgrades over wholesale changes and a growing malaise among consumers pushing them to higher-end models.

That trend is expected to continue, and Apple will likely milk the situation this year by further differentiating between its ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro lineup. Not only is Apple expected to make its new, more powerful A17 processor exclusive to the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, the company is also expected to segment its higher tier options by reserving periscope zoom lens technology for the top-end ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max as a standout feature.

Tag: China
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...

Top Rated Comments

3530025 Avatar
27 months ago

I many Asian countries it is expected that you always buy the most expensive stuff that you can afford. So if you do not have an expensive phone, people will think you are poor and have less respect for you. The same is true for clothes, cars, houses and other stuff.
So, it's basically the same as in Western countries.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bodhitree Avatar
27 months ago

So, it's basically the same as in Western countries.
Except here in the Netherlands, where people take a certain pride in being thrifty.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skyscraperfan Avatar
27 months ago
I many Asian countries it is expected that you always buy the most expensive stuff that you can afford. So if you do not have an expensive phone, people will think you are poor and have less respect for you. The same is true for clothes, cars, houses and other stuff. That is typical in economies that are quite new to capitalism and have a huge GPD growth.

People in China pay insane amounts of money on luxury brands, even if they can hardly afford them. It might take a few more decades before they will realize that buying things to impress other people is a waste of money. Until then they will buy a lot of much too expensive cars and other stuff.

Most Chinese do not really have the money to afford an iPhone, but they will do it anyway because of social pressure. Of course there are many rich people in China, but only 100 million or so of the 1.4 billion have an income that would be considered at least average in a western country.

In China you can even buy phone cases that make other phones look like an iPhone. That shocked me very much.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4odomi Avatar
27 months ago

I many Asian countries it is expected that you always buy the most expensive stuff that you can afford. So if you do not have an expensive phone, people will think you are poor and have less respect for you. The same is true for clothes, cars, houses and other stuff. That is typical in economies that are quite new to capitalism and have a huge GPD growth.

People in China pay insane amounts of money on luxury brands, even if they can hardly afford them. It might take a few more decades before they will realize that buying things to impress other people is a waste of money. Until then they will buy a lot of much too expensive cars and other stuff.

Most Chinese do not really have the money to afford an iPhone, but they will do it anyway because of social pressure. Of course there are many rich people in China, but only 100 million or so of the 1.4 billion have an income that would be considered at least average in a western country.

In China you can even buy phone cases that make other phones look like an iPhone. That shocked me very much.
Apple products & iPhone in particular, have been aspirational products since their launch, it's hardly surprising that people in many country's aspire to have the best.
Also the fact is, that Apple products last twice as long as Android & PC, so smart people recognise, that long term, they're actually cheaper and better value for money.
For instance I've got a MacBook Pro 13" M1, it's almost 3 years old, never gone wrong on me and it's still worth over £500, I would be lucky to get £150 for an equivalent PC.
My 13 Pro is still worth over £700 after 2 years and so on......
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zapmymac Avatar
27 months ago

Except here in the Netherlands, where people take a certain pride in being thrifty.
Certain parts of the USA are like this also. We are a diverse nation. ✌️
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
27 months ago
China’s middle class is just about the size of the entire U.S. population alone, so this isn’t surprising at all.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)