Hat Apple sich geschlagen und den Weg für chinesische Marken, sich durch AI-Smartphones zurückzuholen, versperrt?

After many years, the sight of long queues in front of Apple Stores has repeated itself.

Last month, the official sales phase of the iPhone 17 series began. Apple Stores in many cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing were already filled with people queuing up early in the morning. Many consumers who had pre - ordered the first units online came to the stores to pick up their new devices and test them as early as possible. Many "gray - market dealers" even happily went home with several Apple shopping bags in hand.

Online, there was also a great deal of enthusiasm for the new iPhones. According to the pre - sales figures of e - commerce platforms, the sales volume of the iPhone 17 Pro series has tripled compared to the previous series. Even more impressive is the performance of the standard model, the iPhone 17, whose sales volume has increased by about eight times compared to the previous generation.

In view of the current buying enthusiasm in China, Apple is expected, barring any unforeseen circumstances, to make up for the weak sales of last year and experience a long - overdue sales boom. For Chinese smartphone manufacturers, however, this means enormous pressure.

Last year, brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi achieved good results in the premium market, which gave Chinese manufacturers the confidence to focus on the premium segment. In particular, the integration of the AI concept into intelligent hardware led various smartphone manufacturers to launch their flagship models, all of which, without exception, focused on AI as the core attraction. Apple's delay in the development of AI functions gave them hope of overtaking.

However, today Apple has achieved an unexpected resonance in the market with the tried - and - tested strategy of "more performance at the same price", which has often been used by Chinese manufacturers. In contrast, the various AI smartphones have not made much of a splash so far.

Can Apple dominate the market without AI?

Before the launch of the iPhone 17 series, public opinion about Apple was rather negative. The most important reason for this was Apple's backward position in AI technology. In recent years, the leap in AI technology has turned the tech scene upside down. Many people predicted that AI - driven hardware devices would fundamentally change the consumer electronics market. Apple's hesitation and skepticism towards AI would ultimately leave it behind the times. As foreign media said, "this company is increasingly taking on the form of its former competitor, Microsoft."

Nevertheless, AI was not mentioned at all at Apple's autumn product launch this year. However, the iPhone 17 has ignited the market and convinced consumers to switch their old phones simply through substantial design improvements.

When you see long queues in front of Apple stores, you feel as if you've been transported back to the era of the iPhone 6 rush.

The key to success ultimately lies in the product. In the hardware adaptation of the iPhone 17 series, Apple has comprehensively improved the base model, the iPhone 17, for the first time, which was a big surprise. Firstly, the entire iPhone 17 lineup is equipped with ProMotion adaptive refresh rate technology, which supports up to 120 Hz. The minimum storage capacity is now 256 GB. Secondly, it is equipped with the latest A19 chip and a comparable screen to the Pro model. It has a 48 - megapixel main camera and a 12 - megapixel 2x telephoto lens combination. The front - facing camera has also been upgraded to 18 megapixels.

Without a price increase, the base model, the iPhone 17, is particularly attractive. The iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max have also been improved, with the focus mainly on image quality. The new 48 - megapixel telephoto sensor has a 56% larger area, which represents a remarkable improvement in Apple's telephoto technology in recent years. It is also noteworthy that the iPhone 17 Pro is equipped with a VC (Vapor Chamber) cooling system, finally solving the heat dissipation problem.

By fixing the product's weaknesses and comprehensively improving it, Apple has obviously made a "course correction" in its product strategy. It has stopped living in its own world and started to listen to consumers' needs and the market. Although this change is not necessarily equivalent to innovation, it has been shown that Apple's compromise was a smart decision. By fixing the weaknesses, Apple has made it easy for consumers to feel the changes in the product and even surprised them.

By giving up the pursuit of AI leadership and instead focusing on product improvement, Apple has achieved a strong resonance in the market. Although the AI smartphones that made many promises last year and were launched by many manufacturers seem very innovative at first glance, they have not achieved any significant success so far and cannot really convince consumers. Most consumers only buy the flagship models of various brands that are equipped with AI functions, rather than truly "AI smartphones".

Basically, Chinese smartphone manufacturers still have a central problem to solve with their AI smartphones: Why should consumers pay for AI?

In the application area, the most commonly used AI function in AI smartphones is still the voice assistant. The types of AI applications are limited, and there are no real "blockbusters". In addition, AI hardware is not the only way to use AI functions. Normal smartphones and PCs can also use AI functions through software and apps. In terms of price, the increased production costs have driven up the prices of AI smartphones. Most AI smartphones target the premium market, and some manufacturers use AI as an excuse to increase prices.

In view of the inflated prices and lack of practical attractiveness, it is not surprising that consumers are not willing to pay for these AI smartphones.

The growth of the premium market is not driven by AI smartphones

In view of the slow or even declining growth of the entire smartphone market, the premium market has shown stronger growth potential. According to the latest data from market research firm CounterPoint Research, the sales volume of premium smartphones (price over $600, approximately 4,277 yuan) in the first half of 2025 increased by 8% compared to the previous year, setting a record. The increase is far higher than the 4% growth of the entire smartphone market.

The data also shows that devices with generative AI (GenAI) accounted for more than 80% of premium smartphone sales in the first half of 2025.

However, this does not mean that AI smartphones have driven the growth of the premium market.

Since there is currently no product that can be defined as a true AI smartphone, in the broadest sense, all smartphones that have AI functions and use AI as a selling point are referred to as AI smartphones. In particular, the premium flagship models of various manufacturers fall into this category. Last year, the flagship models of brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi actually showed significant growth in the premium market. However, AI was not the reason why consumers bought these products.

To be honest, the strategy of smartphone manufacturers to use AI as a selling point has not only failed to make AI an incentive for consumers to switch phones but has also raised general doubts among consumers. On social media, there are numerous comments such as "a smartphone that is simply renamed suddenly becomes an AI device" or "most functions are realized through software, and the AI model is mainly in the cloud. There is no need to switch the device at all."

The use of AI functions also shows that most consumers are neither interested in AI smartphones nor in the AI functions promoted by these phones, or are even disappointed. For example, AI image editing and real - time translation only seem like an improved version of beauty apps and translation software. The speed and quality of document summarization and cross - app operation are far behind human capabilities. Even the core function of voice interaction is currently more of a technical gimmick than a practical function. After the first use, consumers rarely use these AI functions again.

It's not just Chinese manufacturers whose AI smartphones are in a difficult situation. Samsung and Apple have also invested a lot of energy in improving AI functions, but the market reaction has also been disappointing. Last year, the survey results of an American recycling company, SellCell, showed consumers' real attitude towards AI functions in smartphones. Around 73% of users said that using Apple Intelligence had not brought any significant improvement to the user experience. Among Samsung smartphone users, even 87% were dissatisfied with the AI functions.

Currently, it is obvious that AI only makes a small contribution to the actual sales growth of smartphone manufacturers. Although over - emphasizing AI as a selling point can sometimes lead to a slight increase in sales volume in the short term, it is difficult to achieve sustainable growth. Especially in the premium market, most consumers are not willing to pay the high prices caused by AI functions, let alone pay additional fees for AI functions.

In the premium smartphone market, it's ultimately about Apple and the others

Last year, the situation in the Chinese premium smartphone market changed significantly.

After the introduction of the 5G Kirin chip, Huawei quickly regained its competitiveness. Its market share in the premium market rose from 20% in 2023 to 29% in 2024. The total market shares of other Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO rose from 5% in 2020 to 15% in 2024. In particular, Xiaomi has achieved remarkable results in the premium market.

In contrast, Apple has continuously lost its market share in China. In the fourth quarter of last year, shipments decreased by 18.2%, and its market share in China dropped from 20.2% to 17.1%. In the second quarter of this year, the market share further dropped to 13.9%.

The return of Huawei and the rise of Chinese premium smartphones have broken the situation in the Chinese premium smartphone market that had been dominated by Apple for years. This change is closely related to the efforts of Chinese smartphone manufacturers to explore new forms of smartphones. From foldable smartphones to AI smartphones, Chinese manufacturers have always been at the forefront of research and development to open up new markets in the premium segment with new technologies and overtake Apple.

In particular, the start of the "Year of AI Smartphones" has revitalized the creativity of smartphones thanks to the progress in AI technology. If Chinese brands can reach the top and build technical barriers, overtaking Apple may not be far away.

However, the reality is less rosy. Foldable smartphones seem very innovative at first glance, but after years of development, the penetration rate is still relatively low. Growth has slowed down both globally and in the Chinese market. Ultimately, it's all about the form of the screen without really revolutionary innovations. Consumers will quickly get tired of the form. AI smartphones seem revolutionary and innovative, but these innovations currently remain at the marketing level.

Now, Apple has changed its strategy and re - ignited consumers' buying enthusiasm by improving the product's performance. This shows that competition in the smartphone field still revolves around core components such as the screen, camera, design, and chip. Other innovative changes that are not revolutionary or do not bring significant improvements to these components ultimately remain just "icing on the cake".

The strong market response to the iPhone 17 confirms once again Apple's unparalleled brand power compared to other brands in the premium market. A 120 - Hz refresh rate, a minimum storage capacity of 256 GB, and a larger battery capacity would not be anything special in the flagship models of other Chinese manufacturers. But the fact that Apple is willing to change its attitude and fix the product's weaknesses...