Smartphone shipments in mainland China fell 12% year-over-year to 59.3 million units in Q3 2026, the lowest third-quarter figure since 2013. Rising memory costs and weaker consumer demand contributed to the decline.
Huawei led the market with 12.4 million shipments, up 18%, followed by Apple with 11.6 million units, up 15%. Together, the two companies captured 41% of the market. Vivo and OPPO each shipped around 9 million units, while Xiaomi ranked fifth with 8 million.
Manufacturers are increasingly focusing on premium devices to offset rising costs, while AI features are becoming a more important factor in consumers’ purchasing decisions. Omdia found that 28% of Chinese consumers would consider switching smartphone brands for more advanced AI capabilities.
Omdia forecasts that smartphone shipments in mainland China will decline by approximately 7% in 2026.
Source: Omdia
