Apple was dethroned as China's biggest smartphone seller in 2024, with local rivals Vivo and Huawei overtaking the iPhone maker after its annual shipments in the country declined 17%, data from research firm Canalys showed on Thursday.

US tech giant shipped 13.1 million units in China during the period, narrowly maintaining its market lead with a 17 per cent share, according to Canalys data released on Thursday

Apple and Samsung, the world’s top two smartphone makers, saw their global market shares decline last year, marking the first such drop in eight years since 2016. According to market researcher IDC on Jan.

Apple smartphone shipments in China fell 25% in the fourth quarter, while Huawei's rose 24%, data from research firm Canalys showed on Thursday.Apple shipped 13.1 million units versus Huawei's 12.9 million,