Microsoft Stock Upgraded as Stifel Sees Stronger Azure Growth 
Gold Hits Record High as Investors Eye Fed Chair Powell’s Speech on Tariffs 
Tesla, Apple, Nvidia Boost Nasdaq to Record High as Jobs Report Ignites Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
Teladoc Shares Rise on Amazon Collaboration for Health Programs 
Gold Prices Set to Hit New Highs in 2025 Amid Market Volatility 
Equities Face Uncertain Outlook in 2025 Amid High Valuations and Risks 
fnny Beta Launches With a Simple Idea: Find an Event, Show Up, Get Rewarded 
Asian Stocks Fall as U.S. Rate Cut Expectations Fade 
Oil Prices Surge Amid U.S. Sanctions on Russian Crude Exports 
Volkswagen Shares Slide After 2026 Profit Outlook Cut 
CNN, MS NOW and Politico Sue Trump Over White House Media Ban 
Paramount-Warner Bros $110 Billion Deal Draws Antitrust Backlash 
Key Date for Tariff Policy Changes 
Anthropic’s Claude Discovers CRISPR-Like Enzyme System 
Telix to Acquire Germany’s ITM in $1.65 Billion Radiopharma Deal 
Jefferies Upgrades Safran Group Stock with Strong Growth Outlook 
Trump to Impose Oil and Gas Tariffs by Feb. 18, Easing Canadian Crude Levy 
Add as a preferred source on Google
Apple lost its position as China’s top smartphone seller in 2024, as Vivo and Huawei overtook the iPhone maker amid a 17% decline in Apple’s annual shipments, according to Canalys. This marked Apple’s steepest annual sales drop in China, with a 25% plunge in Q4 alone.
Budget smartphone brand Vivo captured 17% of the market, followed by Huawei at 16% and Apple at 15%, highlighting growing competition from domestic brands. Factors such as the absence of AI capabilities in the latest iPhones and the rise of foldable phones have diminished Apple’s edge in one of its largest markets.
Canalys analyst Toby Zhu noted Apple’s challenges, including Huawei's flagship launches, growing consumer loyalty to brands like Xiaomi and Vivo, and competition in high-price segments. Apple’s four-year growth streak, aided by U.S. sanctions on Huawei since 2019, came to an end as Huawei rebounded in August 2023 with premium phones powered by local chipsets, driving a 24% Q4 shipment surge.
To combat declining sales, Apple launched rare promotions, offering discounts of up to 500 yuan ($68.50) on its iPhone 16 models from Jan. 4-7. Chinese e-commerce giants like Alibaba’s Tmall followed suit with discounts up to 1,000 yuan ($137).
Meanwhile, Xiaomi led Q4 growth among top vendors with a 29% shipment increase, followed by Oppo and Vivo with gains of 18% and 14%, respectively. Overall, China’s smartphone shipments rose 4% year-on-year to 285 million units in 2024, underscoring a shifting market dynamic driven by domestic innovation.
