iPhone 16 sales in China are surprisingly great, despite Apple Intelligence uncertainty

Ahead of Apple’s quarterly earnings later this month, we’re getting a better picture of how the iPhone 16 line is selling—and it looks very good. The latest evidence is a report on sales in China, where Apple is seeing big launch numbers despite uncertainty around its Apple Intelligence rollout.

iPhone 16 Pro line makes huge gains over 15 Pro

Vlad Savov writes for Bloomberg:

Sales of Apple Inc.’s newest iPhones in China are up 20% in their first three weeks compared with 2023’s model, a positive sign for a device that struggled this year to gain traction in the world’s largest smartphone market.

The iPhone 16 debuted in September and has outperformed its predecessor so far, according to Counterpoint Research data provided to Bloomberg News. Consumers continue to shift to the pricier models, and sales of the top-end Pro and Pro Max models gained 44% compared with last year’s equivalents.

Prior reporting has indicated the iPhone 16 is off to a generally strong start.

But it’s another thing entirely to see that the same is true in China. For two reasons:

1. The iPhone has struggled there of late in the face of increased competition and strong interest in AI and foldables.
2. It’s hard to point to Apple Intelligence as the sole driver of sales success, since China is one part of the world with the most uncertainty around Apple’s rollout.

The unanswered question of Apple Intelligence

When Apple Intelligence launches later this month, it will only be available in US English.

However, users in most of the world can still access AI features if their device is set to US English.

China and the EU are two exceptions, however. While the situation in the EU is messy, the barriers to enabling Apple Intelligence in China may be even greater. Savov writes:

Analysts had warned that the iPhone 16 might fare poorly in China, given the absence of a local partner to power AI features. Beijing has barred foreign-developed AI models, meaning Apple may have to secure a local partner such as Baidu Inc.

Apple so far has had very little to share about bringing Apple Intelligence to China. We know that Tim Cook mentioned the company was working with local regulators in both China and the EU. And we know that the company plans to roll out support for Chinese in 2025.

Hopefully, this initial wave of iPhone 16 buyers doesn’t end up disappointed by a prolonged delay getting Apple Intelligence. Otherwise, the launch success could quickly turn another direction.

How important do you think Apple Intelligence is to iPhone 16 buyers? Let us know in the comments.