Smartphone shipments in China fell 10% year over year in Q3 2026, hitting a 14-year low, according to Counterpoint Research. Despite the broader market decline, Apple increased its share to 19.5%, a 4.8-percentage-point gain year over year, ranking second only to Huawei's 21.3%. Apple's rise from sixth to second place was driven by the strong launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series, with sales up 23.5% year over year in the first three weeks.
The delayed base iPhone 18 launch encouraged consumers to trade up to Pro models. Apple was one of only two top six brands to gain share, alongside Huawei, while vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, and HONOR all declined. Rising smartphone prices are leading consumers to delay upgrades or seek refurbished devices, potentially pressuring Q4 demand.
Counterpoint notes the trend reflects broader global weakness, with worldwide shipments falling a record 22% year over year, and Apple recording the smallest decline among top manufacturers at just 4%.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing