Apple Ranks Second in China Amid Slump

Apple moved into second place in the Chinese smartphone market during the third quarter of 2026, according to a report released by Counterpoint Research on October 23. The firm’s data indicates that total smartphone shipments in China dropped by 10% compared to the same period in 2025. This decline marks the weakest performance for the market in 14 years.

Apple captured 19.5% of the market share in the quarter, a jump of 4.8 percentage points from the previous year. This increase elevated the company from sixth place to second. Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 percentage points year over year. These two manufacturers were the only ones among the top six brands to expand their market position.

Every other major competitor lost ground during the period. Vivo’s share fell by 2.8 points to 15.2%, while OPPO slipped 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi saw its share drop 1.6 points to 13.5%, and HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7%. All other manufacturers combined lost 2 points, ending the quarter with a 2.8% share.

Counterpoint attributed Apple’s performance to the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The report notes that sales for the new lineup in the first three weeks were 23.5% higher than those for the iPhone 17 Pro series in the same window. The firm also suggested that the delayed release of the base iPhone 18 model may have pushed some consumers toward the higher-end Pro options.

These figures contrast with a report published days earlier by IDC. IDC estimated that Chinese smartphone shipments fell 15.4% year over year in the third quarter. In its analysis, IDC calculated Apple’s market share at 17.8%, noting that actual iPhone shipments in China declined by 4.3% despite the relative gain in share. IDC also reported that global smartphone shipments fell a record 22% during the quarter, with Apple posting the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers at 4%.

Counterpoint warned that market conditions may remain challenging as consumers respond to higher device prices. The firm observed that buyers are delaying upgrades, waiting for sales, or selecting refurbished units. These trends could place additional strain on demand in the fourth quarter of 2026.