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.

Apple’s descent from the top of China’s smartphone market in 2024 signals a seismic shift in the competitive landscape of one of the world’s largest smartphone markets. Data from Canalys highlights a 17% decline in Apple’s shipments across the country,

It was Apple's largest-ever annual sales decline in China and involved contraction in all four quarters, including a 25 per cent drop in the final quarter, according to the data.