Apple’s iPhone shipments in China jumped 20% in the first quarter of 2026, the strongest gain among major vendors as the overall smartphone market there shrank 4%. Huawei clung to first place with a slim 20% share. Apple grabbed 19%, up from 15% a year earlier. Rivals stumbled hard. Xiaomi shipments plunged 35%. Oppo and Honor dropped 5% and 3%. Only Vivo eked out 2% growth, thanks to Lunar New Year demand. Yahoo Finance called it Apple’s strongest China quarter in years, but warned the real test lies ahead.
Rising memory chip prices hammered budget phones. Supply disruptions forced competitors to hike prices on entry-level models. Apple sidestepped the pain. Its premium lineup let the company swallow costs without passing them on. Counterpoint Research noted, ‘Apple is widely viewed as best positioned to navigate the ongoing global memory crunch, supported by its premium product portfolio and strong supply chain management.’ The firm predicts Apple will absorb higher costs internally, gaining share in the near term. Reuters echoed the data on April 17, highlighting how Huawei grew just 2% while Apple soared.
iPhone 17 series demand fueled the boom. Standard models kept last year’s prices despite doubled storage. Promotional cuts and government subsidies sweetened the deal. E-commerce discounts pulled in buyers wary of inflation. Chinese consumers see iPhones as value holders amid economic caution. This marks a turnaround. Shipments rose 8% in Q2 2025, first growth since mid-2023. By October 2025, iPhones hit 25% of sales, best since 2022. Q4 2025 saw 28% growth; Apple led outright. Full-year 2025 jumped 26% on iPhone 17 pull. MacRumors tied Q1 success to that streak, adding a 23% sales spike in early 2026’s first nine weeks.
But shadows loom. Chinese brands plan price hikes for Q2, squeezing demand further. Apple and Huawei should weather it best, say analysts. Huawei eyes low-end gains. Apple bets on loyalty. Greater China delivered Apple’s record iPhone quarter in fiscal Q1 2026, with 38% revenue growth to $25.5 billion, Tim Cook called ‘the best iPhone quarter in history in Greater China.’ That was calendar Q4 2025. Momentum carried over. CNBC flagged the Q1 shipment surge amid the downturn.
Apple’s edge? Supply chain mastery. In-house components buffer shocks. Premium pricing shields margins. Rivals like Xiaomi suffer from prior deep discounts, creating tough comparisons. Cost-conscious buyers flock to trusted brands. Apple climbed to second, nipping at Huawei’s heels. AppleInsider pegged the growth as the biggest since Q4 2020.
Geopolitics adds tension. U.S.-China frictions persist. Apple diversifies assembly to India, Vietnam. Yet China remains vital—about 18% of revenue. Shipments hit roughly 13.1 million units in Q1, per estimates. Huawei leads, but Apple’s ascent pressures it. South China Morning Post confirmed Huawei’s hold with Apple close behind on April 18.
Analysts cheer. Bank of America lifted its price target. Bulls eye sustained share gains. Memory crunch tests everyone. Apple thrives. Rivals retreat. Q2 outlook? Cautious. But Apple’s run suggests resilience. Huawei fights back. The duel intensifies. China buyers decide.
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