Apple’s smartphone shipments jumped 22 percent to record levels in the fourth quarter, making it the world’s biggest seller, while those for Huawei plunged as US sanctions took effect.
An expanded number of models and a new look for the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple’s first 5G-enabled devices, tapped pent up demand for upgrades, especially in China.
Shipments hit 90.1 million phones, a record for any quarter, giving it global market share of 23.4 percent, data from research firm IDC showed.
“In China, Apple seized the perfect opportunity to capture Huawei’s market share in the high end, when the latter has essentially not enough supply even though demand for the brand is still there,” said Nicole Peng, who tracks China’s smartphone market at Canalys.
The data comes on the heels of Apple reporting record holiday quarter sales on Wednesday, with overall revenue crossing $100 billion for the first time. Revenue in Greater China, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, surged 57 percent.
“We had two of the top three selling smartphones in urban China,” Chief Executive Tim Cook told Reuters in an interview, adding that upgraders in particular had set an all-time record in China.
As is often the case in the fourth quarter when it launches new products, Apple took the top spot from Samsung Electronics. The South Korean firm saw a 6.2 percent year-on-year increase to 73.9 million devices, giving it market share of 19.1 percent.
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, unsurprisingly, suffered the most pain, with shipments tumbling a record 42.4 percent to 32.3 million.
The Chinese tech powerhouse has been battered after the previous US administration blacklisted it on national security grounds, preventing overseas companies from supplying it with key parts including semiconductors.
Huawei is now in early-stage talks to sell its premium smartphone brands P and Mate, two people with direct knowledge of the matter have said, a move that could see the company eventually exit from the high-end smartphone-making business. The company has denied such a plan.
According to IDC, Huawei now ranks 5th compared with the No. 2 ranking it had only two quarters earlier. Research firms Counterpoint and Canalys, which also released data on Thursday, pegged Huawei at No. 6, marking the first time in years that it has fallen out of the top five in their rankings.
China’s Xiaomi Corp, the No. 3 seller, saw its shipments soar 32 percent while shipments for fourth-ranked Oppo climbed 10.7 percent, according to IDC.
Apple logs record quarterly smartphone shipments, Huawei in freefall
https://arab.news/9dchs
Apple logs record quarterly smartphone shipments, Huawei in freefall
- ‘In China, Apple seized the perfect opportunity to capture Huawei’s market share in the high end’
- Huawei is now in early-stage talks to sell its premium smartphone brands P and Mate
Saudi Arabia, Japan trade rises 38% between 2016 and 2024, minister says
RIYADH: Trade between Saudi Arabia and Japan has increased by 38 percent between 2016 and 2024 to reach SR138 billion ($36 billion), the Kingdom’s investment minister revealed.
Speaking at the Saudi-Japanese Ministerial Investment Forum 2026, Khalid Al-Falih explained that this makes the Asian country the Kingdom’s third-largest trading partner, according to Asharq Bloomberg.
This falls in line with the fact that Saudi Arabia has been a very important country for Japan from the viewpoint of its energy security, having been a stable supplier of crude oil for many years.
It also aligns well with how Japan is fully committed to supporting Vision 2030 by sharing its knowledge and advanced technologies.
“This trade is dominated by the Kingdom's exports of energy products, specifically oil, gas, and their derivatives. We certainly look forward to the Saudi private sector increasing trade with Japan, particularly in high-tech Japanese products,” Al-Falih said.
He added: “As for investment, Japanese investment in the Kingdom is good and strong, but we look forward to raising the level of Japanese investments in the Kingdom. Today, the Kingdom offers promising opportunities for Japanese companies in several fields, including the traditional sector that links the two economies: energy.”
The minister went on to note that additional sectors that both countries can also collaborate in include green and blue hydrogen, investments in advanced industries, health, food security, innovation, entrepreneurship, among others.
During his speech, Al-Falih shed light on how the Kingdom’s pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka achieved remarkable success, with the exhibition receiving more than 3 million visitors, reflecting the Japanese public’s interest in Saudi Arabia.
“The pavilion also organized approximately 700 new business events, several each day, including 88 major investment events led by the Ministry of Investment. Today, as we prepare for the upcoming Expo 2030, we look forward to building upon Japan’s achievements,” he said.
The minister added: “During our visit to Japan, we agreed to establish a partnership to transfer the remarkable Japanese experience from Expo Osaka 2025 to Expo Riyadh 2030. I am certain that the Japanese pavilion at Expo Riyadh will rival the Saudi pavilion at Expo Osaka in terms of organization, innovation, and visitor turnout.”
Al-Falih also shed light on how Saudi-Japanese relations celebrated their 70th anniversary last year, and today marks the 71st year of these relations as well as how they have flourished over the decades, moving from one strategic level to an even higher one.
