China’s smartphone market saw a slight decline of 1% year-on-year in Q1 2026, with total shipments reaching 69.8 million units, according to Omdia. Rising memory costs pushed many vendors to increase prices, which negatively impacted consumer demand.
Huawei led the market with 13.9 million units (20% share), followed by Apple at 13.1 million units (19%). OPPO, boosted by realme’s reintegration, shipped 11.0 million units, while vivo and Xiaomi took fourth and fifth place.
Several brands, including Xiaomi, HONOR, OPPO and vivo, raised prices by 10–30% to offset rising costs, hurting demand. In contrast, Huawei and Apple largely avoided price hikes, helping them gain market share.
Looking ahead, innovation in flagship and foldable devices, along with growing AI capabilities, is expected to support demand. However, Omdia forecasts the market could shrink by 10% in 2026 as memory costs and competition continue to reshape the industry.
Source: Omdia
