China Phone Market: Apple Jumps to Second Amid 10% Drop

Smartphone buyers in China faced a shrinking selection in the third quarter of 2026, with total market shipments falling to their lowest level in 14 years. Counterpoint Research reported that device sales dropped 10% compared to the same period last year, a decline attributed to rising memory prices that increased production costs for manufacturers.

Apple emerged as the primary beneficiary of this contraction. The company’s market share in China climbed to 19.5%, a jump of 4.8 percentage points from the previous year. This gain moved Apple from sixth place to second, positioning it directly behind Huawei, which held a 21.3% share of the market.

Huawei was the only other brand among the top six to expand its footprint, adding 5.3 percentage points to its share. In contrast, every other major competitor lost ground during the quarter. Vivo’s share fell 2.8 points to 15.2%, and OPPO slipped 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi dropped 1.6 points to 13.5%, while HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7%.

Counterpoint credited the iPhone 18 Pro series for Apple’s surge. The firm noted that the lineup saw a strong launch, with sales in the first three weeks up 23.5% year over year compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series. The report suggested that the delayed arrival of the base iPhone 18 model may have pushed some consumers toward the higher-end Pro devices, boosting early revenue.

These figures conflict with data released by IDC days earlier. IDC estimated that China’s smartphone shipments fell 15.4% year over year in the third quarter. The firm calculated Apple’s share at 17.8% and noted that iPhone shipments declined 4.3% despite the increased market presence.

IDC also highlighted a weak global environment, stating that worldwide smartphone shipments fell a record 22% year over year. Apple recorded the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers, with its global shipments down just 4%.

Counterpoint warned that difficult conditions may persist into the fourth quarter. Higher device prices are causing consumers to delay upgrades, wait for promotional events, or purchase refurbished units, a trend that could further suppress demand for new hardware.