Apple iPhone Sales Surge 20% in China Amid Market Decline

Apple's Chinese iPhone sales increased by 20% in the first quarter of 2026, making it the strongest performance among major vendors. The growth is attributed to strong sales of the iPhone 17 series, which was released in September 2025. This outpaced other brands, including Huawei.

In the first quarter of 2026, AAPL posted a 20% surge in iPhone shipments in China, outperforming every major rival in the world's largest smartphone market according to Counterpoint Research . The iPhone 17 series, released in September 2025, was the top-selling model across the period — a particularly striking result given that the broader Chinese smartphone market contracted approximately 4% during the same quarter.

Apple's competitive edge stems partly from its pricing strategy. While Huawei and other Android vendors raised prices in response to elevated memory chip costs, Apple chose to absorb cost pressures internally rather than pass them to consumers. Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam noted that Chinese buyers increasingly view iPhones as durable three-year investments, a perception that underpins premium demand even in a weakening economic environment .

The result has significant implications for AAPL's near-term revenue trajectory. China remains one of Apple's most important geographic markets, representing roughly 17% of annual revenue. Sustained market share gains against a contracting competitive field suggest iPhone volumes in the region could provide a meaningful buffer if U.S. demand softens ahead of Apple's next earnings call. Investors will be watching whether the 20% growth rate holds through Q2 or whether it reflects a post-launch pull-forward effect from the iPhone 17 cycle .