Apple(US:AAPL) Guan Cha Zhe Wang·2025-09-11 07:11Core Insights - The global high-end smartphone market is experiencing significant growth, with a projected 8% year-on-year increase in sales for the first half of 2025, surpassing the overall smartphone market growth of 4% [1][3] - Apple continues to lead the high-end market with a 62% share, although its market share has slightly declined due to faster growth from competitors [3] - Huawei and Xiaomi are gaining market share, with Huawei showing a 24% year-on-year growth and Xiaomi achieving a remarkable 55% increase, primarily driven by the Chinese market [1][3] - Google has re-entered the top five high-end smartphone brands after five years, with a 105% increase in sales attributed to the strong performance of its Pixel 9 series [1][3] Market Trends - The trend towards "premiumization" is evident as consumers increasingly prefer to upgrade to high-end devices, contributing over 60% of global smartphone revenue [4] - The top ten high-end markets account for nearly 80% of sales in this segment, with India showing the fastest growth at 37% year-on-year, largely driven by Apple's performance [4] - China remains the largest high-end market in absolute terms, contributing significantly to growth [4] - Generative AI models now account for over 80% of high-end devices, indicating a shift in consumer preference towards innovative features [4] - Foldable smartphones are a niche but growing category, with Apple expected to enter this market in 2026 [4]