{"id":65761,"date":"2026-03-25T23:48:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/?p=65761"},"modified":"2026-03-26T11:58:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:58:31","slug":"apple-defies-weak-smartphone-market-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/en\/news\/apple-trotzt-schwachem-smartphone-markt-in-china","title":{"rendered":"Apple defies weak smartphone market in China"},"content":{"rendered":"

The smartphone market in China is off to a weak start in 2026. New figures show declining shipments and an overall decrease in demand. At the same time, the picture for Apple is mixed: While the market is shrinking, the company is managing to buck the trend in some areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is one of the most important markets for smartphone manufacturers. Changes there directly impact global providers. The current period of weakness clearly demonstrates which brands remain stable. Apple occupies a special position, as it is often the only major international provider among the top brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decline in the overall market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology shows that 16.3 million smartphones were shipped in February. This represents a year-on-year decrease of 12.6 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first two months combined also showed weaker figures: 36.9 million devices sold represent a decrease of 14.3 percent. The market thus remains clearly in a downward trend (via Sina Finance<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domestic brands continue to dominate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Domestic manufacturers accounted for 85.5 percent of shipments in February. At the same time, their sales declined by 15.7 percent to 14.4 million units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately 1.9 million devices remain for foreign brands. In this segment, Apple is the most important supplier and often the only non-Chinese company among the leading brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple is growing against the trend<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple was once again among the best-selling brands in January 2026<\/a> \u2013 as the only non-Chinese company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the overall market declined by 23 percent in January, Apple was able to increase its shipments by 8 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The picture becomes even clearer in the first nine weeks of the year: iPhone sales rose by 23 percent, while the rest of the market shrank by 4 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context and outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The data appears contradictory, but can be categorized: The market as a whole is shrinking, while Apple is gaining market share within that market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One possible catalyst was the launch of the iPhone 17e on March 11th. This model could benefit from government subsidies and thus generate additional demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple's strength in the weak smartphone market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Chinese smartphone market remains under pressure. Declining shipments indicate a clear weakness in demand. At the same time, Apple is managing to partially hold its own and even grow in this environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether new devices like the iPhone 17e can reverse the trend depends primarily on the future development of consumer demand in China. (Image: Shutterstock \/ Wongsakorn 2468)<\/p>\n\n\n\n