China Phone Sales: Apple Jumps to Second Place
Counterpoint data shows Apple gaining 4.8 points of market share while total shipments hit their lowest level since 2012.
By Aiko Soto ·
Chinese consumers bought fewer phones in the third quarter of 2026 than at any point in the last 14 years.
Counterpoint Research reports that domestic smartphone shipments fell 10% compared to the same period in 2025. Rising memory prices weighed on manufacturers across the board. Only two brands in the top six increased their share of the total market.
Apple moved from sixth to second place with a 19.5% share of shipments. That represents a 4.8 percentage point gain over the previous year. Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 percentage points. The other four major brands all lost ground.
Vivo dropped 2.8 points to 15.2% and OPPO slipped 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi fell 1.6 points to 13.5% and HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7%. Remaining manufacturers combined for a 2.8% share, down 2 points from last year.
Counterpoint attributed Apple's growth to the iPhone 18 Pro series. The firm noted that sales for the new lineup were up 23.5% in the first three weeks compared to the iPhone 17 Pro launch. It also suggested that the delayed release of the base iPhone 18 pushed some buyers toward the more expensive Pro models.
IDC published a separate report earlier in the week with different figures. That firm estimated Chinese shipments fell 15.4% year over year. It calculated Apple's share at 17.8% and noted that iPhone shipments dropped 4.3%. IDC also reported that global smartphone shipments fell a record 22% during the quarter.
Counterpoint warns that high prices will continue to pressure the market in the fourth quarter. Many consumers are delaying upgrades or choosing refurbished devices to save money.
