Apple strengthened its position in China’s smartphone market during the second quarter of 2026. The improvement came even as overall smartphone shipments continued to decline. According to IDC, the market recorded its fifth straight quarterly drop, with shipments falling 4.3% year over year to 66 million units.
Despite the slowdown, Apple emerged as one of only two major brands to post growth. Huawei also expanded its share, while every other leading smartphone vendor lost ground during the quarter.
Stable Pricing Helped Apple Win Buyers
Industry analysts believe Apple’s pricing strategy played a key role in its success. While rising memory and component costs forced many Android manufacturers to increase prices or reduce device specifications, Apple largely kept its pricing unchanged. Consequently, more consumers viewed the iPhone as a stronger value.
Apple’s market share climbed to 18.1%, up from 13.9% a year earlier. Furthermore, the company recorded 24.9% year-over-year growth, making it one of the strongest performers in China’s challenging market. Huawei remained the market leader with a 22.6% share.
Promotions Boosted iPhone Demand
Apple also benefited from targeted promotional campaigns. In addition, reports suggest many buyers upgraded earlier than expected after hearing that future iPhone models could become more expensive. Those early purchases helped strengthen iPhone sales during the quarter.
Meanwhile, government subsidies delivered less support than in previous months. During China’s annual 618 shopping festival, smartphone sales fell by nearly 15% compared with the previous year. Therefore, manufacturers relied more heavily on pricing and promotions to attract customers.
Future Price Increases Could Change the Picture
Apple’s recent gains may not last if future iPhone prices increase. Industry observers expect the company to introduce higher prices with its next-generation iPhone lineup later this year. If that happens, Apple’s pricing advantage over Android rivals could narrow significantly.
Even so, IDC expects component costs to remain a challenge across the smartphone industry through 2027. Looking further ahead, analysts believe AI-powered smartphones could encourage more consumers to upgrade by 2028 or 2029. Until then, pricing strategies will likely remain a major factor in China’s highly competitive smartphone market.
