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<\/a><\/p>\nThe company\u2019s revenue in Greater China, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, fell 10% in the latest quarter – the only region to experience a year-on-year decline. While revenue was little changed in mainland China, Counterpoint has put the iPhone\u2019s share of the over $600 device market at 80% and sales are growing in urban areas.<\/p>\n
Xiaomi, showing signs of bouncing back from its worst shipment declines in its seven-year history, is going to unveil the Mi MIX 2 a day before Apple\u2019s event.<\/p>\n
The new phone, a second-generation to a model developed with designer Philippe Starck featuring a ceramic body and bezel-less screen,\u00a0takes it deeper into Apple\u2019s high-end territory.<\/p>\n
The MIX series, of which last year\u2019s version sold for 3,999 yuan ($615), encapsulates Xiaomi\u2019s intention of exploring new designs, said Donovan Sung, product and marketing director of its international expansion unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cXiaomi has always\u00a0relentlessly pursued technological innovations, and the Mi MIX product line is where much of that effort is concentrated,\u201d Sung wrote in an email.<\/p>\n
Huawei – a company that declared its intention of supplanting Apple and Samsung at the top of the mobile food chain – debuts its full-screened Mate 10 next month.<\/p>\n
The last iteration of its flagship sported cameras designed with Leica; this one is expected to employ an in-house developed multicore Kirin 970 processor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dual-camera technology, which was first introduced by Huawei, is now a must-have feature adopted by major players across the globe,\u201d rotating Chief Executive Officer Guo Ping told Bloomberg Television.<\/p>\n
\u201cApple is an outstanding company that we respect, but Huawei also has a lot of innovations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even Vivo – the smallest player of the group, is teasing the silhouette of a new thin-bezel device, presaging an imminent release though it declined to comment on details.<\/p>\n
With supply of new iPhones expected to be tight in the early going,\u00a0Apple\u2019s Chinese rivals may jump at the chance to lure buyers away. Their tool-kits include features aimed squarely at local users, from dual SIM devices that support multiple phone numbers to outsized memory and selfie cameras.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe growth of Chinese brands is an important trend which no player in the mobile ecosystem can ignore,\u201d Counterpoint Research Associate Director Tarun Pathak wrote in a report this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi have successfully gained access to key supply chain partners, which has allowed them to launch designs with bezel-free, full displays, augmented reality, in-house chipsets and advanced camera features, that have kept them toe-to-toe with rivals.\u201d<\/p>\n
They may also appeal to nationalistic sentiments in a country on the ascendancy. And it doesn\u2019t help Apple that the U.S. company has taken a drubbing in the public eye. Apple has faced the ire of Chinese consumers and been on the receiving end of official crackdowns.<\/p>\n
Its iTunes Movies and iBooks were shut down last year by regulators. In 2013, it was forced to apologize after powerful state broadcaster CCTV criticized customer-service standards.<\/p>\n
Canalys estimates Apple\u2019s Chinese smartphone shipments will grow a mere 1.4% to 22.5 million units in the second half.\u00a0The top-shelf iPhone\u2019s rumored $1,000-plus price tag may end up pushing iOS fans toward local alternatives,\u00a0because even well-heeled buyers are price-sensitive, said Jia Mo, an analyst from Canalys.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot every high-end user in China are willing to accept a price tag above 8,000 yuan. Actually there are many who can\u2019t afford it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n