Apple Takes Second Spot in China as Phone Sales Hit Decade Low

Apple has moved to second place in the Chinese smartphone market, a stark contrast to the industry's weakest performance in 14 years. Counterpoint Research reports that total shipments in the region fell by 10% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. Rising memory prices have weighed on the sector, causing a widespread decline in sales.

Despite the broader downturn, Apple captured 19.5% of smartphone shipments in China during the quarter. This represents an increase of 4.8 percentage points from a year ago. The gain propelled the company from sixth place to second, placing it directly behind Huawei.

Huawei retained the top position with a 21.3% market share, up 5.3 percentage points year over year. Among the six leading brands, only Huawei and Apple increased their share of the market. All other major competitors lost ground. Vivo declined to 15.2%, OPPO dropped to 15.1%, Xiaomi fell to 13.5%, and HONOR slipped to 12.7%.

Counterpoint attributes Apple's rise to the strong launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The firm states that sales of the new lineup were up 23.5% year over year in the first three weeks. The research firm suggests that the delayed release of the base iPhone 18 may have pushed more shoppers toward the Pro models, boosting early numbers.

IDC published a separate report a few days earlier with different figures. That firm estimated that Chinese smartphone shipments fell 15.4% in the third quarter. IDC calculated Apple's share at 17.8%, noting that iPhone shipments specifically declined by 4.3%.

Global conditions remain difficult. IDC estimated that worldwide smartphone shipments dropped a record 22% year over year in the quarter. Apple posted the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers, with sales down just 4%.

Counterpoint warns that higher prices are causing consumers to delay upgrades or buy refurbished devices. This behavior may add further pressure to demand in the fourth quarter.