China Smartphone Shipments Dip as Premium Demand Drives Huawei, Apple Growth
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China’s smartphone market saw a modest decline in early 2026, with shipments dropping 3.3% year-on-year to 69 million units in the first quarter. Despite this dip, stronger-than-expected demand for premium devices—especially from Huawei and Apple—helped cushion the impact of rising component costs and ongoing supply constraints.
According to IDC, smartphone makers are shifting their focus away from chasing shipment volume and toward protecting profit margins. Increasing costs for memory and other components have pushed vendors to scale back lower-end models and prioritize higher-value products.
Huawei held onto the top spot, shipping 13.7 million units and capturing a 19.8% market share, up from 17.7% a year earlier. Apple followed closely with 13.1 million units and an 18.9% share, recording the fastest growth among the top five brands with a 33.3% year-on-year increase.
OPPO ranked third with 11 million shipments (15.9% share), while vivo shipped 10.5 million units (15.2%). Honor rounded out the top five with 8.9 million units and a 12.8% share.
IDC noted that strong demand for high-end devices—such as Huawei’s Mate 80 series and Pura X foldable, along with Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup—helped offset weaker performance in the budget segment. The Pura X alone surpassed 1.5 million units in shipments, though Apple’s overall volumes were somewhat constrained by supply limitations.
Looking ahead, IDC expects the first quarter to remain the strongest period of the year. Vendors are already adjusting their annual targets downward while keeping tight control over lower-end inventory, as they navigate ongoing pricing pressure, cost challenges, and supply chain uncertainties. (Source: Asian Biz Review)
