China Smartphone Market: Apple's Revenue Share Jumps to Second Place

Apple captured 19.5% of China's smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. This share represents a 4.8 percentage point increase from the same period in 2025. The gain moved the company from sixth place to second in the national ranking.

The broader market contracted sharply during the quarter. Total shipments fell 10% year over year, marking the weakest performance level in 14 years. Rising memory prices contributed to the industry-wide decline. Only two of the top six brands increased their market share in this environment: Apple and Huawei.

Huawei led the market with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Competitors saw their positions erode. Vivo dropped 2.8 percentage points to 15.2%, and OPPO slipped 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi lost 1.6 points to end at 13.5%, while HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7%. The remaining manufacturers combined lost 2 points and finished with a 2.8% share.

Counterpoint attributed Apple's performance to the iPhone 18 Pro series. The research firm noted that the lineup saw a strong launch in China. Sales in the first three weeks rose 23.5% year over year compared with the iPhone 17 Pro series. The report suggests that the delayed arrival of the base iPhone 18 may have shifted buyer demand toward the premium Pro models.

IDC released a separate report a few days earlier with different estimates. IDC calculated that China's smartphone shipments fell 15.4% year over year in the third quarter. In that assessment, Apple's share rose to 17.8% even as iPhone shipments declined by 4.3%. The firm also estimated that global smartphone shipments dropped a record 22% during the period.

Apple recorded the smallest decline among the top five global manufacturers, with a 4% drop in worldwide shipments. Counterpoint warned that demand pressures may persist into the fourth quarter. Higher device prices are prompting consumers to delay upgrades or purchase refurbished units, which could further dampen sales figures in the coming months.