Apple (AAPL) regained its place among the top five smartphone sellers in China in the third quarter with the launch of its iPhone 16International Data Corp. said. (IDC).

According to IDC, the tech giant’s 15.6% share of China’s smartphone market has declined from 16.1% a year ago, but is still good for the second highest number of sales. Chinese company Vivo was the top-selling company.

Apple fell among the top five in IDC’s second-quarter research, as its China sales struggled during the second quarter. first semester as national competitors like Huawei, Vivo and Xiaomi have gained ground.

China’s smartphone market recovers despite economic slowdown

With the iPhone 16 launch and rival flagship brands, the smartphone market is recovering despite China’s slowing economy, with IDC noting that third-quarter sales rose 3.2% year-over-year to 68.8 million units.

“A significant wave of device upgrades is propelling the sustainable recovery of China’s smartphone market,” said Arthur Guo, senior research analyst at IDC China. “Despite continued economic challenges, consumers are highly motivated to purchase new smartphones after three years of pent-up demand.”

Apple has not yet included its latest artificial intelligence (AI) features in its new devices in China, a delay that analysts say could cause the tech giant to lose ground against its rivals. Apple Intelligence will roll out to English devices in the coming weeks and to other languages ​​like Spanish and Chinese next year.

Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook was reportedly in Beijing this week to meet with government officials and local partners to gain support for Apple Intelligence.

Apple shares rose less than 1% shortly after markets opened Friday. They gained around 20% in 2024.