Apple defies weak smartphone market in China

The smartphone market in China is off to a weak start in 2026. New figures show declining shipments and an overall decrease in demand. At the same time, the picture for Apple is mixed: While the market is shrinking, the company is managing to buck the trend in some areas.

China is one of the most important markets for smartphone manufacturers. Changes there directly impact global providers. The current period of weakness clearly demonstrates which brands remain stable. Apple occupies a special position, as it is often the only major international provider among the top brands.

Decline in the overall market

Data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology shows that 16.3 million smartphones were shipped in February. This represents a year-on-year decrease of 12.6 percent.

The first two months combined also showed weaker figures: 36.9 million devices sold represent a decrease of 14.3 percent. The market thus remains clearly in a downward trend (via Sina Finance).

Domestic brands continue to dominate

Domestic manufacturers accounted for 85.5 percent of shipments in February. At the same time, their sales declined by 15.7 percent to 14.4 million units.

Approximately 1.9 million devices remain for foreign brands. In this segment, Apple is the most important supplier and often the only non-Chinese company among the leading brands.

Apple is growing against the trend

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple was once again among the best-selling brands in January 2026 – as the only non-Chinese company.

While the overall market declined by 23 percent in January, Apple was able to increase its shipments by 8 percent.

The picture becomes even clearer in the first nine weeks of the year: iPhone sales rose by 23 percent, while the rest of the market shrank by 4 percent.

Context and outlook

The data appears contradictory, but can be categorized: The market as a whole is shrinking, while Apple is gaining market share within that market.

One possible catalyst was the launch of the iPhone 17e on March 11th. This model could benefit from government subsidies and thus generate additional demand.

Apple's strength in the weak smartphone market

The Chinese smartphone market remains under pressure. Declining shipments indicate a clear weakness in demand. At the same time, Apple is managing to partially hold its own and even grow in this environment.

Whether new devices like the iPhone 17e can reverse the trend depends primarily on the future development of consumer demand in China. (Image: Shutterstock / Wongsakorn 2468)