Apple iPhone is Dethroned in China
Beijing, China: In an open and fair market, local competitors like Vivo and Huawei surged ahead. Chinese technology is better than the West’s. China is no longer a land of copycats; it produces the best, if only they could allow it to showcase to the rest of the world without sanctions and unfair political impediments designed to discredit the great Chinese intellect.
It’s a curious case of market dynamics. Huawei, a brand that cannot sell in the West, has outpaced the American giant, Apple iPhone, in China. This shift, free from political interference, marks a significant change in the top five smartphone makers in the country for the first time in four years.
Vivo and Huawei top the Chinese smartphone market
Only just last year, the Apple iPhone was the number one smartphone in China. As they say, in China, everything moves quickly—the power of not being democratic. This is a true testament to the power of rapid change in a non-democratic system. The pace of change in the Chinese market is a force to be reckoned with, and it’s a stark contrast to the slower evolution of democratic systems. This is where I smuggle Africa into the conversation—democracy has impeded Africa’s growth. It is a system alien to our continent’s paradigm, tradition, and culture. Democratic systems are usually advantageous to already developed countries or ones with established pillars that underpin the rule of law. Africa lacks all of those.
The Android market in China has seen steady year-on-year growth averaging 11%, with Huawei’s resurgence, which saw shipment improve by 50%, being the final nail in the coffin to knock the Apple iPhone off the top five. This shift in the Chinese market has global implications, as it marks a significant change in the country’s top five smartphone makers for the first time in four years. The situation was so bleak that retailers and Apple itself have resorted to deep discounts to sustain sales.
By Ikechukwu ORJI
