Apple Rises in China Amid Sales Slump

Apple moved from sixth place to second in the Chinese smartphone market during the third quarter of 2026. The company captured 19.5% of shipments, a jump of 4.8 percentage points from the same period in 2025. This growth occurred while the overall market contracted sharply.

Counterpoint Research reported that total smartphone shipments in China dropped 10% year over year. The decline marks the weakest level for the industry in 14 years. Rising memory prices continue to weigh on manufacturers, forcing higher device costs that deter many consumers from upgrading.

Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 percentage points. It was the only brand ahead of Apple among the top two. Every other major manufacturer lost ground during the quarter. Vivo fell to 15.2% and OPPO slipped to 15.1%, while Xiaomi dropped to 13.5% and HONOR declined to 12.7%.

The iPhone 18 Pro series drove Apple's performance. Counterpoint noted that the lineup saw a strong launch, with sales in the first three weeks up 23.5% compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series. The firm suggested that the delayed arrival of the base iPhone 18 may have shifted shopper demand toward the more expensive Pro models.

IDC published a separate report days earlier with different estimates. That firm calculated that shipments fell 15.4% and Apple's share rose to 17.8%. IDC also stated that global smartphone shipments fell a record 22% year over year, with Apple posting the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers at 4%.

Counterpoint warned that difficult conditions may persist into the fourth quarter. Higher prices are leading consumers to delay upgrades or choose refurbished devices. This behavior adds pressure to demand as the year ends.