In a report published today, IDC said Huawei and Apple were the only smartphone makers to record shipment growth in China during the second quarter of 2026. Here are the details.

According to the report, Apple recorded the strongest year-over-year shipment growth among major smartphone makers in China in Q2 2026, rising 24.4%.

That propelled Apple from fifth to second place, with its market share climbing from 13.9% to 18.1%. Huawei remained the market leader, accounting for 22.6% of smartphone shipments during the quarter.

That said, every other major smartphone maker recorded a year-over-year decline, with shipments falling by as much as 60.8% amid rising memory and component costs, fading government subsidies, and weaker consumer demand, particularly during the 618 shopping festival.

Overall, China’s smartphone market declined 4.3% year over year, with roughly 66 million units shipped during the quarter.

Here’s IDC on Huawei and Apple’s performance:

“Both held prices steady while the rest of the Android field raised them, and both layered on targeted promotions. Huawei kept widening its lineup to cover more of the market, while Apple’s early signaling of price increases on its second-half products pulled some buyers forward into the iPhone 17 series sooner than they might have bought otherwise. Strong brand pull helped as well.”

Looking ahead, IDC says that while “vendors have been cushioned so far by earlier low-cost component inventory,” that could soon change:

“ […] as that runs down, cost pressure should land more heavily in the second half of the year. On current trends, the year-over-year decline in China could widen to around 20% in the second half of 2026.”

On the flip side, IDC says the current downward trend could signal a future rebound in consumer demand, as buyers who are postponing upgrades today may return to the market once conditions improve.

To read IDC’s full report, follow this link.

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