Apple Surges in China Amid Market Collapse

China’s smartphone industry entered a historic contraction in the third quarter of 2026, yet one American giant expanded its footprint. While total shipments plummeted to their lowest level in fourteen years, Apple reversed its position in the domestic hierarchy. The company moved from sixth place to second, a sharp climb that defied the broader market decline.

Counterpoint Research reported that overall smartphone shipments in China fell 10% compared to the same period last year. The firm attributes this drop primarily to rising memory prices, which have squeezed manufacturers’ margins and pushed device costs higher. In this environment, Apple emerged as the primary outlier. Its share of quarterly shipments increased by 4.8 percentage points to reach 19.5%.

Huawei remained the market leader, holding a 21.3% share that grew by 5.3 percentage points year over year. Among the top six brands, only Huawei and Apple increased their market presence. Every other major competitor lost ground. Vivo’s share dropped 2.8 points to 15.2%, and OPPO slipped 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi and HONOR also contracted, ending the quarter with 13.5% and 12.7% shares, respectively.

Counterpoint cited the iPhone 18 Pro series as a key driver of Apple’s performance. The research firm noted that the new lineup saw a strong launch, with sales in the first three weeks up 23.5% year over year compared to the previous generation. The firm suggested that the delayed release of the base iPhone 18 may have steered some consumers toward the more expensive Pro models during this period.

These figures conflict with a separate report from IDC released days earlier. IDC estimated that Chinese shipments fell 15.4% in the quarter. The firm calculated Apple’s share at 17.8%, noting that actual iPhone unit shipments declined by 4.3%. The discrepancy between the two analysts highlights uncertainty in how different firms track and categorize domestic sales data during a volatile market.

The divergence extends to global metrics. IDC reported that worldwide smartphone shipments fell a record 22% year over year in the third quarter. Despite this global slump, Apple posted the smallest decline among top manufacturers at 4%. Counterpoint warned that the current economic conditions will likely persist into the fourth quarter. Higher device prices are prompting consumers to delay upgrades or seek refurbished options, adding further pressure to an already fragile demand environment.