Apple regained the No. 2 position in China's smartphone market during the 2026 618 shopping festival after offering steep discounts on its latest iPhone lineup, but sales still fell 9% year over year during the four-week promotional period, according to Counterpoint Research. The decline reflected tougher comparisons, as Apple had run even more aggressive promotions for the iPhone 16 series during last year's 618 event. The broader Chinese smartphone market remained under pressure, with total sales falling 13% from a year earlier as rising memory prices forced manufacturers to raise prices and scale back discounts. Huawei was the standout performer, becoming the only major brand to post year-over-year growth and capturing a 21% market share, driven by strong demand for the Enjoy 90 Pro Max and solid performance from the Mate 80. Counterpoint expects China's smartphone market to weaken further in the second half of 2026, forecasting a double-digit decline in shipments for the full year as vendors prioritize profitability over aggressive discounting.
Apple Inc.iPhone sales fell 9% YoY during 618 festival despite steep discounts, and China market expected to weaken further.
Huawei was the only major brand to post YoY growth, driven by strong demand for Enjoy 90 Pro Max and Mate 80.