BEIJING, (Reuters) –Apple Inc has achieved the highest market share ever in China during the fourth quarter. It was also the most-sold vendor in China for six years. Counterpoint Research published this report on Wednesday.

This milestone was achieved with the iPhone 13’s release. It also coincides with the sluggish demand for smartphones as Chief Rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. [HWT.UL] market share declined.

Apple (NASDAQ) has surpassed 23% in smartphone market share, which is a record achievement for the company. Counterpoint reports that Apple’s quarter-end unit sales increased 32% over the previous year, but total Chinese smartphone sales fell by 9%.

Mengmeng Zhang, Counterpoint Analyst, cited the lower start price in China as well as the effect of U.S. Sanctions against Huawei (Apple’s primary competitor in high-end segments), to be factors.

Apple’s last ranking as China’s number-one smartphone brand was in 2015 after it launched the iPhone 6 which attracted Chinese consumers due to its large displays.

Apple was China’s number three smartphone manufacturer with 16.6% market share in 2021.

Vivo and Oppo were two Android smartphone brands that fall under the private BBK Electronics umbrella. They were ranked 1 and 2 respectively with 22% and 21%, respectively.

Apple’s annual unit sales increased 47% year-over-year, while Huawei’s fell 68%. Counterpoint reports that China’s overall smartphone sales fell by 2%.

As consumers put off purchasing new smartphones, Chinese smartphone manufacturers are faced with a dilemma: extending upgrade cycles.

Global shortages of components and chips have meanwhile roiled the electronics industry and impacted pricing and margins across all manufacturers.