Apple Surges in Weak Chinese Market

The Chinese smartphone sector is currently experiencing one of its most difficult periods in over a decade. Amidst a significant drop in overall sales, Apple has managed to increase its presence in the region.

According to data from Counterpoint Research, total smartphone shipments in China fell by 10 percent during the third quarter of 2026. This decline marks the weakest performance for the market in fourteen years. Rising costs for memory components have continued to put pressure on manufacturers and consumers alike.

Apple stood out as a major exception to this general trend. The company captured 19.5 percent of the local market during the quarter. This represents a gain of 4.8 percentage points compared to the same period in the previous year. As a result, Apple moved up from sixth place to the second position, trailing only Huawei.

Huawei maintained its lead with a 21.3 percent share, which was up 5.3 percentage points from a year earlier. It was one of only two major brands to see growth. All other leading competitors experienced a loss of market share during the quarter. Vivo dropped 2.8 points to 15.2 percent, while OPPO slipped 1.3 points to 15.1 percent.

Xiaomi and HONOR also saw their positions erode. Xiaomi fell 1.6 points to a 13.5 percent share, and HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7 percent. Smaller manufacturers combined lost 2 points, ending the period with a mere 2.8 percent share of the total market.

Analysts attribute Apple's success largely to the performance of its newest high-end devices. The iPhone 18 Pro series launched strongly in the region. Sales for this lineup were 23.5 percent higher in the first three weeks than the previous generation's launch. Some shoppers may have been pushed toward these premium models because the base iPhone 18 arrived later than expected.

These figures align with a separate report from IDC released recently, though the numbers differ slightly. IDC estimated that Chinese shipments dropped 15.4 percent year over year. They noted that Apple's share rose to 17.8 percent even as its total unit sales fell by 4.3 percent. IDC also highlighted a global downturn, with worldwide shipments down a record 22 percent.

Looking ahead, experts suggest that challenging conditions may persist. Higher device prices are causing many buyers to delay their upgrades or seek out refurbished options. This shift in consumer behavior could place additional strain on demand in the final quarter of the year.