Apple iPhone sales in China fell 20 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2018 while sales for smartphones made by home-grown Huawei soared by 23 percent, new industry data shows.
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The IDC report is the first to put a firm number on the scale of a recent decline in Apple's fortunes in the world's second largest economy.
Apple no longer breaks out detailed numbers on iPhone shipments in its quarterly results, meaning surveys and channel checks by the likes of IDC are often the clearest indicator of shifts in sales.
The figures in the report showed a 19.9 percent fall in Apple's smartphone shipments in the final quarter of 2018, while Huawei's grew 23.3 percent.
That reduced Apple's market share to 11.5 per cent from 12.9 per cent a year earlier.
"Besides regular performance upgrades in 2018 and small changes to the exterior, there has not been any major innovation that supports users to continue to change their phones at the greatly increased price," the report said.
"The severe macro environment in China and the assault of domestic brands' innovative products have also been reasons for Apple's continued decline."
A separate report from another common industry source, Hong Kong-based Counterpoint, earlier this month confirmed a similar sharp fall in sales in India.
Australian Associated Press
