On July 20, preliminary figures released by market research firm Counterpoint Research revealed that China’s smartphone shipments witnessed a 2% year-on-year decline in the second quarter of 2026. Amid escalating storage costs and subdued market demand, smartphone manufacturers have pivoted their strategies to prioritize profitability. In this challenging environment, Huawei and Apple stood out by achieving growth against the broader market trend. Specifically, Huawei’s market share soared to 23%, with shipments surging by 24% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Apple also experienced a notable increase, with shipments growing by 23% year-on-year.
