China Smartphone Market: Apple Rises to Second Place Amidst 14-Year Low
Counterpoint Research reports a 10% drop in Q3 shipments, with Apple and Huawei gaining market share while rivals like Vivo and OPPO lose ground due to rising memory costs.
By Sarah Montgomery ·
Consumers in China faced a shrinking selection of new phones in the third quarter of 2026 as the market hit its lowest point in 14 years. Counterpoint Research reported that total smartphone shipments fell 10% compared to the same period in 2025. This decline was driven by rising memory prices, which pushed up device costs and discouraged buyers from upgrading their hardware.
Apple emerged as the primary beneficiary of this downturn. The company captured 19.5% of the Chinese market, a 4.8 percentage point increase from the previous year. This gain moved Apple from sixth place to second, positioning it directly behind Huawei. Huawei also expanded its position, holding a 21.3% share that was up 5.3 points year over year. These two brands were the only leaders to grow their market presence.
The remaining major manufacturers lost ground as the market contracted. Vivo saw its share drop by 2.8 points to 15.2%, while OPPO declined by 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi fell 1.6 points to 13.5%, and HONOR dropped 2.2 points to 12.7%. Smaller manufacturers combined lost 2 points, ending the quarter with a 2.8% share.
Counterpoint attributed Apple’s surge to the strong performance of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The firm noted that the lineup saw a robust launch, with sales in the first three weeks up 23.5% compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series. The delay in releasing the base iPhone 18 may have also shifted demand toward the higher-end Pro models, boosting early figures.
These figures differ slightly from an earlier report by IDC, which estimated a steeper 15.4% year over year decline in Chinese shipments. IDC calculated Apple’s share at 17.8%, noting that iPhone shipments dropped 4.3% despite the market contraction. On a global scale, IDC reported that worldwide smartphone shipments fell a record 22% in the quarter.
Apple posted the smallest decline among the top five global manufacturers, with a 4% drop in shipments. Counterpoint warned that the market environment may remain challenging in the fourth quarter. Higher prices are leading consumers to delay upgrades or seek refurbished devices, a trend that could apply further pressure to demand.
