Oppo R9 is the top selling smartphone in China, not iPhone 6s

Oppo R9 has overtaken Apple's iPhone 6s to become the best-selling smartphone in China. The iPhone has been the top selling smartphone in China since 2012, and the company has now lost the crown to Oppo's flagship device.

According to Counterpoint Research, Oppo sold close to 17 million units of R9 in 2016 as opposed to 12 million iPhone 6s units sold by Apple. With R9, Oppo has reportedly captured nearly 4 percent of China's overall market share, while Apple managed only 2 percent share. Oppo is one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in China thanks to its significant presence in the offline market.

"China's smartphone shipments reached an all-time high in 2016, growing 6 percent year-on-year to 465 million units, but Apple remains "vulnerable" in the world's largest market," CNBC reported, citing Counterpoint Research.

In China, Oppo saw its shipments grow 109 percent year-on-year while Apple's shipments declined 21 percent. Vivo and Huawei were the only other smartphone makers to see growth in shipments. Vivo grew 78 percent while Huawei saw a growth of 21 percent. Xiaomi, the major consumer electronics brand in China also registered a 22 percent year-on-year decline in its shipments.

Back in October, Apple announced its third quarterly decline in iPhone sales, and the company is expected to announce a predictably lukewarm response for its latest iPhone 7 in the first fiscal quarter. With its position being compromised in China, Apple needs not only a revolutionary product, but a different sales pitch altogether to attract interested consumers.