iPhone 18 Pro Sales Rise 12% in China as Apple Leads Weekly Smartphone Market [Report]

Apple led China's smartphone market during the week of September 14–20, capturing 33% of sales as the iPhone 18 Pro lineup got off to a strong start, according to Counterpoint Research.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale September 18, leaving just three days of sales in Counterpoint's weekly tally. The firm's Chinese-language report says the new Pro models sold 12% more units in those three days than the iPhone 17 Pro series did during its launch week. The 33% figure is Apple's share of all smartphones sold in China that week, not the Pro lineup's share.

Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam suggested the later launch of the standard iPhone 18 may have encouraged some buyers to choose a Pro model instead. He also pointed to price increases of more than $200 on many competing Chinese flagship phones, which may have narrowed their price gap with the iPhone.

The debut came against a softer market. Counterpoint says China's weekly smartphone sales have been falling by double digits year over year since July, amid weak demand and rising memory costs.