Foxconn, the largest assembler of Apple’s iPhone, said it expects a rise in second-quarter sales as the smartphone market rebounds.

Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer, expects its second-quarter financial results to show both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year growth.

Xiaomi smartphone shipments were up 33 per cent for the quarter to 40.7 million units, giving it 14 per cent of the global market.

Henan, home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, saw smartphone exports reach 6.65 million units in the first quarter, down 60.1 per cent from the same period last year.

Apple is still No 1 in China’s premium segment, which consists of handsets priced over US$600, but it is losing market share to Honor and Huawei, according to IDC.

Apple saw iPhone sales in China decline 19.1 per cent in the first quarter, while Huawei achieved sales growth of nearly 70 per cent, according to Counterpoint.

The country remains the US tech giant’s main manufacturing base, home to over a third of the factories run by its disclosed suppliers.

The tech executive met Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta and talked about the possibility of setting up manufacturing in the Southeast Asian nation.

During Tim Cook’s visit, Apple says it will raise investments on suppliers in the Southeast Asian country.

Apple’s smartphone shipments fell about 10 per cent in the first quarter, hurt by intensifying global competition from Android handset makers aiming for the top spot, according to new data from research firm IDC.

Senior Foxconn managers have discussed the rotating CEO plan for several months, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter say.

The company is set to unveil iOS 18, which is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone’s software ever, with the new AI strategy front and centre.

Tim Cook’s appearance at the China Development Forum, Beijing’s answer to the Davos summit, was the latest stop of his jam-packed trip in the world’s largest smartphone market, where Apple is struggling with declining sales.

Apple is in talks with Baidu to bring AI on to iPhones in China, The Wall Street Journal reported. In China, AI tech must be vetted by regulators.

The lawsuit, brought by the US Justice Department and multiple states, accuses the tech giant of making it hard for consumers to switch to cheaper smartphones.

The meeting with BYD and two other mainland suppliers was held ahead of the opening on Thursday of the 57th Apple Store in the US tech giant’s Greater China region.

In a packed Shanghai itinerary, Cook on Wednesday met Chinese video game developers, a filmmaker and the billionaire founder of BYD.

The US tech giant’s latest initiative shows that it remains committed to boosting capital spending in the world’s largest smartphone market, despite sluggish iPhone sales.

The European Union fined the US tech giant for breaking the bloc’s competition laws by unfairly favouring its own music streaming service over rivals.

Honor’s Magic6 Pro and Xiaomi’s 14 Ultra smartphones tout generative artificial intelligence features at mobile communications industry’s biggest trade show.

Apple-authorised retailers are offering steep discounts on the latest iPhone series in China, where the US tech giant faces stiff competition from domestic brands.

Apple plans to disclose more about its plans to put generative artificial intelligence to use later this year, chief executive officer Tim Cook said during the company’s annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday.

Mainland shipments of foldable smartphones reached 7.01 million units last year, up 114 per cent from 3.2 million in 2022, according to tech market research firm IDC.

Jeff Williams was a guest of honour at a gala celebrating the iPhone assembler’s 50th anniversary, also attended by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Arm boss Rene Haas.

Huawei’s return to form in the world’s largest smartphone market was jump-started by the surprise release last August of its Mate 60 Pro 5G handset.

Shenzhen-based OnePlus on Monday brought back six smartphone models to the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Police have cracked down on Apple ID loan schemes, where interest rates can be crippling compared with more affordable loans from banks.

The mainland smartphone industry’s performance last year marked its first year-on-year growth since 2021.

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer, projected revenue growth of at least 8 per cent to US$18.8 billion in the March quarter.