UBS: China's iPhone shipments down 37% year-on-year in January

LootboxPhobia · 2026-03-05T20:39:57+00:00

UBS report shows that China's iPhone shipments in January decreased by approximately 37% year-on-year, reflecting a slowdown in sales momentum after the launch of the iPhone 17 series. Analysis indicates that this decline contrasts sharply with the strong growth at the end of last year, suggesting that future sales may remain weak. At the same time, overall sales in China's smartphone market also declined by about 16%.

LootboxPhobia

2026-03-05 20:39:57

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Investing.com - UBS reports show that China’s iPhone shipments dropped significantly in January, down about 37% year-over-year, as momentum from the latest product release cycle gradually wanes.

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The bank states that its analysis of “sales and procurement” data for Chinese smartphone units indicates that after a strong performance following the launch of the iPhone 17 series at the end of last year, Apple’s shipments have weakened.

David Vogt’s team of analysts noted: “After a 14% decline in December, January iPhone shipments decreased approximately 37% year-over-year.”

They added that this slowdown followed an unusually strong shipment period during device launches. UBS estimates that from September to November, iPhone units sold increased by 28% year-over-year, supported by moderate promotional activities related to the iPhone 17 series launch.

Although monthly shipment data can fluctuate significantly, UBS says the recent slowdown appears consistent with the early surge. The report also suggests that weak shipments may indicate a weakening sales trend in the coming months.

On a broader market level, UBS estimates that China’s total smartphone sales and procurement volume declined about 16% year-over-year in January. That month, iPhones accounted for about 11% of total shipments, down from approximately 14% a year earlier and about 15% in January 2024.

The bank estimates that around 2.2 million iPhones entered the Chinese market in January, marking the lowest monthly level since January 2019.

Apple launched the MacBook Neo on Wednesday, a low-priced laptop starting at $599, as the company seeks to expand its influence in the price-sensitive PC market, while competitors deal with tighter memory chip supplies.

This device represents one of Apple’s most aggressive forays into the PC sector in years. The MacBook Neo will feature the A18 Pro chip, which is the processor first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024.

This article was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.

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