Apple iPhone Shipments Rose 1.5% in Q2, China Downturn Offset By Growth In Emerging Markets: IDC

Apple saw a 1.5% growth in global shipments of its iPhone in the second quarter, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Weakness persisted in key market China, where shipments fell by 1%.

Apple has lost ground in China amid fierce competition from affordable, high-performing Android phones and delays in launching AI features that rivals have been offering since last year.

The data showed that deep discounts in the region did little to boost demand. While the iPhone was the top-selling smartphone during the recent 618 e-commerce sale, most sales were for older models.

Overall shipment growth came on the back of double-digit growth in emerging markets, according to IDC, which did not name those regions.

Apple shares are down 16.7% year-to-date, compared to the 6.6% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index (SPX). 

In Q2, Samsung led the market with a 7.9% growth in shipments, driven by its new Galaxy A36 and A56 models, which brought AI features to more affordable mid-range devices.

Xiaomi was the third most shipped brand, after Apple, in the second spot. The overall smartphone shipments rose 1%.

The momentum in emerging markets comes as Apple gets set to release the new iPhone 17 series, likely in early September. In recent months, Apple has moved a sizable share of production from China to India.

A recent report by India's Economic Times said Apple's manufacturing partner, Foxconn, has begun early trial runs for the iPhone 17 in India. However, key components — like the display assembly, cover glass, and integrated rear camera modules — are still being imported from China.

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