Apple Gains Market Share as China Smartphone Sales Hit Fourteen Year Low

Apple increased its share of the Chinese smartphone market to 19.5% in the third quarter of 2026, moving up from sixth place to second. The company gained 4.8 percentage points compared to the same period a year earlier. This growth occurred as total smartphone shipments in China fell 10% to their lowest level in fourteen years.

Counterpoint Research released the report on October 23, 2026. The firm attributed the industry downturn to rising memory prices that weighed on production costs. Apple was a clear exception to the general decline. Only Apple and Huawei increased their shipment share among the six leading brands in the quarter.

Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, which was up 5.3 percentage points year over year. The other major manufacturers lost ground. Vivo’s share dropped 2.8 points to 15.2%, and OPPO’s slipped 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi saw its share fall 1.6 points to 13.5%, while HONOR declined 2.2 points to 12.7%. All other manufacturers combined ended the quarter with a 2.8% share, down 2 points.

Counterpoint identified the iPhone 18 Pro series as a key driver for Apple’s rise. The firm stated that the lineup saw a strong launch in China. Sales of the new Pro models were 23.5% higher in the first three weeks compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series a year prior. The report suggested that the delayed arrival of the base iPhone 18 may have pushed some customers toward the more expensive Pro models.

These findings follow a separate report from IDC published earlier in October. IDC estimated that Chinese smartphone shipments fell 15.4% year over year in the third quarter. The firm calculated Apple’s share at 17.8%, noting that iPhone shipments in China declined 4.3% despite the overall market contraction.

IDC also reported that global smartphone shipments fell a record 22% year over year during the quarter. Apple posted the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers, with a drop of just 4%. The divergence in estimates between the two research firms highlights the varying methodologies used to track market performance in a shrinking sector.

Counterpoint warned that conditions may remain difficult in the coming months. Higher smartphone prices are causing consumers to delay upgrades or wait for promotional periods. Some buyers are choosing refurbished devices instead of new hardware. This behavior is expected to add further pressure to demand in the fourth quarter of 2026.