SHANGHAI: Apple’s iPhone shipments in China rebounded in March, jumping 19 percent from a year earlier to 2.5 million units. Industry watcher Bloomberg said the calculations were based on monthly data from China’s official Communications and Technology Agency.

Analysts had been predicting shipments to be lower, because of supply chain disruption caused by COVID 19.

Overall, the smartphone market in China, including Android devices, shrank by around 22 percent, Bloomberg said.

It added that the jump in iPhone shipments is a result of the re-opening of many of Apple’s suppliers in the Middle Kingdom, including Foxconn’s mega-plat in Zhengzhou, known as “iPhone City”.

Apple is expected to launch four new redesigned iPhone models soon, all 5G capable.