Apple Surges to Second in China

Apple climbed from sixth to second place in China’s smartphone market during the third quarter of 2026.

The company captured 19.5% of domestic shipments, a rise of 4.8 percentage points compared to the same period last year. This performance stood in sharp contrast to the rest of the industry. Counterpoint Research reported that total smartphone shipments in China fell by 10% year over year. That figure marks the lowest level recorded in 14 years. Rising memory prices were cited as a primary factor weighing on the sector.

Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 points from the previous year. Aside from Huawei and Apple, every other major brand lost territory. Vivo’s share decreased by 2.8 points to 15.2%. 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%. Smaller manufacturers combined for a 2.8% share, down two points from a year earlier.

Counterpoint attributed Apple’s growth to the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The firm noted that sales for the new Pro models increased by 23.5% in the first three weeks compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series. The report suggested that the delayed release of the base iPhone 18 model may have encouraged some buyers to opt for the higher-end Pro variants instead.

These findings differ from estimates released by IDC a few days prior. IDC calculated that Chinese smartphone shipments fell 15.4% year over year. The firm estimated Apple’s share at 17.8%, noting that iPhone shipments in the region declined by 4.3%. On a global scale, IDC reported that worldwide smartphone shipments fell by a record 22% in the third quarter. Apple posted the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers, with a drop of just 4%.

Counterpoint warned that consumer behavior may continue to suppress demand in the coming months. Higher device prices are prompting buyers to delay upgrades, wait for promotional periods, or purchase refurbished units. This trend could place additional strain on the market during the fourth quarter.