14-Year Low Hides Apple's Surge to Second in China

The smartphone market in China just hit a record low that has not been seen in over a decade.

Counterpoint Research reports that total shipments in the country dropped by 10% during the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. This marks the weakest performance in the sector since 2012. Rising memory prices have been a major factor in this decline, making it harder for manufacturers to keep costs down while maintaining margins.

Despite the broad downturn, Apple managed to buck the trend. The company increased its market share by 4.8 percentage points to reach 19.5% of all smartphones shipped in China. This gain was enough to move Apple from sixth place to second. Only Huawei managed to hold a larger share during this period. The research firm notes that these two brands were the sole exceptions among the major players, as every other leading manufacturer saw their numbers fall.

Huawei maintained its top spot with a 21.3% share, which represents a 5.3 percentage point increase from a year ago. In contrast, the other top brands struggled to retain customers. Vivo lost 2.8 points to end at 15.2%, and OPPO slipped by 1.3 points to 15.1%. Xiaomi and HONOR also saw declines, dropping to 13.5% and 12.7% respectively. Smaller manufacturers combined for just 2.8% of the market, a 2 point loss from the previous year.

Apple’s rise is largely attributed to the strong launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. Counterpoint states that sales of these models in the first three weeks were up 23.5% year over year compared to the previous generation. The report suggests that the delayed arrival of the base iPhone 18 may have pushed some buyers toward the more expensive Pro models, thereby boosting early sales figures for the premium lineup.

These figures come shortly after a different report from IDC was released. The two firms offer slightly different perspectives on the market size. IDC estimated that Chinese shipments fell by 15.4% year over year. While IDC also saw Apple’s share grow, it placed the figure at 17.8%. Interestingly, IDC noted that total iPhone shipments actually declined by 4.3%, even as the company’s slice of the shrinking pie increased.

The global outlook also appears challenging. IDC reported that worldwide smartphone shipments fell by a record 22% during the quarter. Apple posted the smallest decline among the top five manufacturers, with its shipments dropping by only 4%. This resilience suggests that demand for high-end devices remains relatively stable even when the broader market contracts.

Looking ahead, analysts warn that conditions may remain tough for the rest of the year. Higher device prices are causing consumers to delay upgrades or wait for sales. Many buyers are also turning to refurbished devices as a more affordable alternative. This shift in consumer behavior could place additional pressure on demand during the fourth quarter, making it a critical period for manufacturers to capture spending.