Apple Jumps to Second in China as Phone Market Falls to 14-Year Low

China’s smartphone market reached its lowest level in 14 years during the third quarter of 2026. Counterpoint Research reported that total shipments dropped 10% compared to the same period last year, a decline attributed to rising memory prices.

Apple stood out from the rest of the industry during this downturn. The company captured 19.5% of the market share in China, a jump of 4.8 percentage points from a year earlier. This increase moved Apple from sixth place to second, positioning it directly behind Huawei.

Huawei remained the market leader with a 21.3% share, up 5.3 percentage points year over year. It was one of only two brands to grow its stake while every other major competitor lost ground. Vivo fell to 15.2%, OPPO slipped to 15.1%, Xiaomi dropped to 13.5%, and HONOR declined to 12.7%.

The surge in Apple’s standing was driven largely by the iPhone 18 Pro series. Counterpoint noted that the lineup saw a strong launch in the region. Sales in the first three weeks were up 23.5% year over year compared to the previous iPhone 17 Pro generation. The firm suggested that delays in the base iPhone 18 release may have pushed more buyers toward the Pro models.

Earlier this month, IDC released a separate report with different estimates for the same period. IDC found that China shipments fell 15.4% year over year. While Apple’s share rose to 17.8% in their data, the firm noted that global smartphone shipments hit a record 22% decline for the quarter.

Counterpoint expects challenging conditions to continue into the fourth quarter. Higher device prices are causing consumers to delay upgrades or seek out refurbished units. This shift in buying behavior is likely to maintain pressure on demand as the year closes.