While the Phone Market Shrinks, Huawei and Apple Grow
The Chinese smartphone market shrank by 2% in the second quarter of 2026. While Huawei and Apple are increasing their market shares, other manufacturers are experiencing significant sales losses.
According to the new report published by Omdia, the Chinese smartphone market shrank by 2% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year, falling to 66.1 million units shipped. In the Chinese market, which showed a more resilient performance compared to the 4% decline in the global market, Huawei and Apple managed to increase their market shares by acting in the opposite direction.
While Huawei continued to lead the market with record shipments of 15.2 million units, Apple consolidated its position with sales of 12.4 million units. The contraction across the sector continues to deepen due to the memory crisis and increasing component costs.
- Huawei increased its market share to 23% by increasing its shipments from 12.2 million to 15.2 million.
- Apple took a 19% share of the Chinese market, significantly increasing its share from 15% on an annual basis.
- Other major manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo experienced double-digit declines in sales.
- Omdia predicts that the Chinese smartphone market will shrink by 6% in 2026.
Huawei and Apple Increase Their Market Shares
Despite the general decline in the industry, Huawei’s success is attributed to the intense interest of models such as Pura X Max and Enjoy 90 Pro Max. Analysts state that the company’s stable pricing policy and strong ties with local supply chains play a critical role in this success.
On the other hand, Apple managed to maintain its competitive position thanks to its strategy of not increasing its prices.
Huawei’s local R&D strength makes the company more resilient to cost fluctuations.
Other Manufacturers Are Going Through a Difficult Process
In the rest of the market, the picture looks quite different. While Oppo had 16% of the market with 10.6 million devices, it experienced a 9% decrease in sales on an annual basis. Similarly, sales of Vivo, which reached a 16% share with 10.5 million device shipments, decreased by 11%. Xiaomi, which ranks fifth on the list, is the manufacturer that suffered the biggest loss, with a decrease of 21%.
The Future of the Market Remains Uncertain
Experts emphasize that smartphone manufacturers have had to optimize their portfolios to adapt to current economic realities. The increase in component costs on a global scale also fuels the polarization in the Chinese market. The fact that consumers are more cautious about renewing devices indicates that the market will continue its shrinking trend for the rest of the year. Omdia updated its full year forecast to a 6% contraction.
Do you think the increase in smartphone prices and the slowdown in technological innovations push consumers to use their phones for longer? Share with us your intentions and what you pay attention to when buying a new phone in the comments.
