Despite an overall decline in China's smartphone market during the 618 shopping festival, Apple managed to secure the second position. Smartphone sales in China dropped 13% year-over-year for the period, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple initiated its promotional efforts early, offering discounts up to CNY 2,000 on the iPhone 17 Pro series through a mix of official price cuts, platform deals, and trade-in incentives. These price reductions boosted Apple's sales sequentially.

While Apple's sales declined 9% year-over-year, this was the smallest decrease among major brands. In contrast, its Chinese Android competitors experienced declines ranging from 12% to 33%. Huawei emerged as the sole major brand to achieve growth, with its sales increasing by 19%. During the May 25 to June 21 period, Huawei led the market with a 21% share, followed closely by Apple and OPPO, both holding 18%, and then vivo (17%), Xiaomi (14%), and HONOR (10%).

The broader market contraction is attributed by Counterpoint to rising memory prices, which increased costs and limited promotional activities compared to previous years. This suppressed already weak consumer demand. Despite these headwinds, Apple's aggressive discounting strategy proved effective in mitigating losses and lifting its market standing in a challenging sales environment.