“Apple’s stellar performance was driven by a mix of its pricing strategy and gain from Huawei’s premium base. Apple rose to first place in China right after the iPhone 13 was released (week 39) in September," said research analyst Mengmeng Zang.

Afterwards, it remained in the leading position for most of the fourth quarter. “The new iPhone 13 has led to Apple’s success due to a relatively lower starting price at its release in China, as well as the new camera and 5G features. Furthermore, Huawei, Apple’s main competitor in the premium market, faced declining sales due to the ongoing US sanctions," Zang informed. However, China’s smartphone sales in Q4 2021 declined 2 percent (on-quarter) and 9 percent (on-year), respectively.