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5h ago

China Smartphone Sales Fall 13% During 618 Festival

Rising memory chip prices pushed up handset costs, cut brands' room for deep discounts, prompting firms to reduce shipment plans for H2 2026.

A visitor checks a mobile phone near the Huawei logo during the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan
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Two tall multi‑colored bar charts compare YoY sales changes for 2025 (left) and 2026 (right) by color segment, with percentages inside each segment and a right legend of brand changes (e.g., Huawei +19%, Oppo −12%). The left bar shows 2025 shares from bottom red 16% to light gray 3%; the right bar shows 2026 shares from bottom red 21% to light gray 2%.
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Overview

  • Counterpoint Research found China’s smartphone sales fell 13% year on year over the month-long 618 window from late May into June, a decline tracked across multiple market reports.
  • Huawei was the only major brand to grow, with sales up about 19% and a roughly 21% market share, while most Chinese Android rivals posted double-digit drops.
  • Apple rose to the No. 2 position after starting heavy iPhone 17 Pro promotions roughly one month before June 18, but its sales still fell about 9% versus a year earlier.
  • Analysts and supply-chain partners say higher memory prices, driven by surging demand for AI servers, raised phone bills and forced vendors to scale back discounting during the 618 festival.
  • Manufacturers have trimmed shipment plans and warn elevated memory costs are likely to persist into the second half of 2026, which could push full-year shipments into a double-digit decline.