iPhone 17 Propels Apple to Top Spot in China as Shipments Surge 28% [Report]

Apple took the top spot in China's smartphone market last quarter, posting 28 percent growth even as the wider industry slipped. While overall shipments in the region dropped 1.6 percent amid rising prices, Apple managed to capture a 22 percent share.



Preliminary data from Counterpoint Research points to the iPhone 17 lineup as the main engine behind that growth. The Pro models drew interest with their new camera design, while the base model benefited from a storage upgrade that kept the pricing flat. The numbers back up earlier signs of a sales surge in October that put Apple on track for a record holiday quarter.


The news wasn't as good for the iPhone Air. The ultra-thin device captured only a low single-digit share of the market. Senior Analyst Ivan Lam attributed the slow start to the device's late launch and feature trade-offs, though he noted it remains an important test case for eSIM adoption. That sluggish performance aligns with supply chain reports from November indicating Apple had cut production orders for the model significantly.

Huawei held onto the number one rank for the full year but saw its Q4 numbers dip due to the delayed launch of the Mate 80. OPPO climbed to second place for the quarter on the strength of its Reno series.

The market faces headwinds going into 2026. Memory prices are forecast to jump another 40 to 50 percent in the first quarter, a supply chain squeeze that analysts previously warned could hurt global shipments. Manufacturers are already scaling back low-end devices to protect their margins.

Read More