IDC: iPhone 16e's first sales in China exceeded iPhone SE by 60%, but it is difficult to change Apple's full-year 2% decline forecast

Data from well-known research firm IDC shows that the initial sales of Apple's new iPhone 16e in China have exceeded the third-generation iPhone SE released a few years ago, but this is not enough to reverse its overall sales decline in the Chinese market.

IDC said that iPhone 16e sales in China in the first three days of its launch were 60% higher than the 2022 iPhone SE, but this was not enough to change the agency's forecast that Apple's overall mobile phone sales in China will fall by about 2% this year.

"Competition from the Android camp will become more intense, as Android phone makers benefit far more from government subsidy policies than Apple," said Nabila Popal, senior director at IDC.

Moreover, the price of iPhone 16e has increased to $599, higher than the $429 of iPhone SE, making it more difficult for Apple to compete with affordable Android phone brands in the Chinese market. In addition, the phone is only equipped with a single rear camera, limited basic storage capacity and insufficient AI functions, which reduces its appeal in the Chinese market and makes it more difficult to sell.