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
Egypt defies African FDI trend with inflows of $11bn in 2025: UNCTAD
RIYADH: Egypt emerged as Africa’s top destination for foreign direct investment in 2025, attracting an estimated $11 billion in inflows in a year marked by declining investment across the continent.
According to UNCTAD’s latest Global Investment Trends Monitor, the North African country ranked ahead of other major African economies despite a sharp regional slowdown.
The performance underscores Egypt’s relative resilience at a time when foreign investment into Africa has normalized following an unusually strong 2024, which UNCTAD said was inflated by a single large project. As a result, the 2025 data reflects a return to more typical investment levels across the continent.
“Among African economies, inflows to Angola reached an estimated $3 billion, marking a return to positive values after nine consecutive years of net divestments,” the report stated.
It added: “Egypt, with inflows of $11 billion, remained the largest FDI host country in Africa.”
While Egypt solidified its position as Africa’s leading FDI host, other notable movements on the continent included Mozambique, where inflows surged 80 percent to $6 billion, driven by renewed activity in major liquified natural gas projects.
Angola also saw a positive shift, recording an estimated $3 billion in FDI after nine consecutive years of net divestments.
UNCTAD noted that Egypt’s strength extended beyond headline inflows, with the country also contributing to an increase in greenfield investment activity across Africa. While the number of greenfield projects fell globally and across most lower-income economies, Africa recorded a 5 percent increase in project numbers in 2025, supported in part by growth in Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire.
Globally, FDI flows rose by 14 percent in 2025 to approximately $1.6 trillion, though growth was heavily concentrated in developed economies, which saw a 43 percent increase.
In contrast, flows to developing economies declined by 2 percent, with the least developed countries particularly affected; three-quarters experienced stagnant or falling investment.
The report highlighted that new project announcements remained weak globally amid elevated policy uncertainty, with international project finance declining for the fourth consecutive year.
Looking ahead, UNCTAD warned that geopolitical tensions, regional conflicts, and economic fragmentation could continue to suppress real investment activity in 2026, even as financing conditions are expected to ease.
For Africa, sustaining FDI inflows will require navigating persistent challenges such as financing constraints, risk perceptions, and structural vulnerabilities.
