Foreign Phone Shipments in China Surge 128% in November

Shipments of foreign-branded smartphones in China recorded a sharp rise in November, driven largely by strong demand for Apple’s iPhones, according to official industry data.

Foreign phone shipments surged 128.4% year-on-year to 6.93 million units, based on calculations by Reuters using figures released by a government-linked research body on Thursday. The jump marks one of the strongest monthly gains for overseas smartphone brands in the Chinese market this year.

Data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed that overall mobile phone shipments in China rose 1.9% from a year earlier to 30.16 million units in November. While the broader market posted only modest growth, foreign brands significantly outperformed domestic manufacturers during the month.

Industry analysts attribute the surge mainly to renewed momentum for Apple, whose iPhone models remain the dominant foreign smartphones sold in China. Seasonal demand ahead of year-end promotions and improving consumer sentiment toward premium devices also supported higher shipment volumes.

The November figures suggest that foreign brands, after facing pressure earlier in the year from intense local competition, regained market share as Chinese consumers showed stronger interest in high-end smartphones. Market watchers will be closely tracking whether this trend continues into the final months of the year, especially as manufacturers prepare for new product launches and holiday sales campaigns.