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).
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. 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.
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Rumors
Faster Wi-Fi Support
The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Latest Rumors
These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable
5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2
Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report.
Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain.
Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality.
We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...
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.
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.
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......
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
