'Apple is inferior' and other reasons why iPhone 15 is causing a stir in China for the wrong reasons
Chinese social networking website Weibo is full of scathing comments about Apple's latest smartphone, the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15 shipments in China in the release month were 6 percent lower when compared to the iPhone 14, according to market researcher GfK, as reported by Bloomberg.
Business Insider reports that posts about the iPhone 15 have garnered more than 100 million views on Weibo, with many consumers in the world's largest smartphone market criticizing the new series for being underwhelming.
It's not that Huawei is superior, it's that Apple is inferior. If it were you, would you upgrade to the iPhone 15 just to get USB C charging?"
While many users are not impressed by the fact that Apple took this long to transition to USB-C, others have panned it for being very expensive, while offering roughly the same features as comparable phones from Xiaomi, Oppo, and Huawei.
Other than Apple's software, everything else is worse. Their prices are so much higher. Now, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo are just as good, if not better than Apple."
And speaking of Huawei, the resurgence of the company appears to have played into the dampened demand for the iPhone 15.
The Chinese company stunned the Western world recently by introducing the Mate 60 Pro, a flagship phone with a homegrown 7nm chip and 5G connectivity. The phone is doing extremely well in China and within months of its launch, it has helped Huawei grow its shipments by 37 percent year-on-year in the country, according to Counterpoint Research. Meanwhile, Apple saw a double-digit decline in the third quarter of 2023 in China.
Huawei was the only company that posed a threat to Apple in China before US sanctions crippled its capability to produce high-end phones. It's not surprising that its steady comeback is becoming a problem for Apple.
The Mate 60 Pro isn't the only smartphone that the iPhone 15 is being compared to though. Some don't see a compelling enough reason to upgrade from their current phones which are serving them just fine.
Even my 5-year-old Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro is still working fine. It doesn't hang and when I'm out, I don't need to carry a portable battery pack. What are you doing with your phones Apple? "
Many users are disappointed by the fact that not much has changed between the iPhone 13 and 15 and that they both have the same refresh rate.
There isn't that big of a difference between the iPhone 13 and 15. The improvement in the camera ain't big. The batteries are just as small. Charging still takes just as long. The phone signal is poor. There is no need to upgrade"
An iPhone ain't cheap. Apple has been raking in huge profits from their iPhones. Buying an iPhone is essentially gifting the Americans with cash."
While you may be tempted to say that the iPhone 15 is one of the best smartphones around and the lack of enthusiasm displayed by Chinese consumers might be rooted in nationalism, it's worth pointing out that Apple's newest phones were also criticized by consumers in other parts of the world for many of these same reasons.
Apple in recent times has found itself caught in the crossfire of the rivalry between America and China. Some Chinese government officials are no longer allowed to use the iPhone.
China accounted for 18 percent of Apple's revenue in 2022 and in Q4 2022, the iPhone made up a quarter of smartphone sales in China. Needless to say, China is a vital market for Apple, as was evident by chief executive Tim Cook's recent visit to China.
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