Apple jumps to second in China as iPhone 18 Pro sales beat 2025

China's smartphone industry hit its lowest volume level in 14 years during the third quarter of 2026. Apple emerged as the primary exception to the slump, rising from sixth to second place in national market share.

The decline followed a steady trend of rising component costs. Memory prices increased through the summer, forcing manufacturers to raise retail prices. Consumers responded by delaying purchases or switching to older models. This behavior suppressed total unit counts across the board.

Counterpoint Research estimates that total smartphone shipments in China dropped 10% compared to the same quarter a year earlier. Amid this contraction, Apple captured 19.5% of the market. This represents a 4.8 percentage point increase from 2025. Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 percentage points year over year. These were the only two of the top six brands to expand their share.

The other major players saw their positions shrink. Vivo fell 2.8 percentage points to 15.2%. OPPO lost 1.3 points to reach 15.1%. Xiaomi dropped 1.6 points to 13.5%, and HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7%. Remaining manufacturers combined lost 2 points, ending the period with 2.8% of the market.

Counterpoint attributed Apple's performance to the iPhone 18 Pro series. The firm noted that the new lineup saw a strong launch, with sales in the first three weeks up 23.5% compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series. The report suggested that the delayed arrival of the base iPhone 18 model may have pushed some buyers toward the higher-end Pro options.

These figures differ from a report published by IDC earlier this month. IDC estimated that Chinese shipments fell 15.4% year over year and placed Apple's share at 17.8%. IDC also reported that global shipments fell 22%, a record decline for a single quarter. Apple posted the smallest drop among the top five global manufacturers at 4%.

Counterpoint expects conditions to remain difficult in the fourth quarter. The firm warned that higher prices will continue to drive consumers to wait for promotions or purchase refurbished devices. This trend could apply further pressure to demand as the year ends.