Chinese iPhone sales increased against the trend in January, despite a significant overall market decline

Investing.com - Apple defies the trend in the Chinese market, with January sales increasing by 8% year-over-year, becoming the only major smartphone brand to achieve positive growth in the world’s largest smartphone market.

According to data released by Counterpoint Research on Thursday, overall smartphone sales in China declined by 23% compared to January 2025. This decline is attributed to last year’s high base effect and changes in the timing of Spring Festival promotions.

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Although Huawei maintains its leading position with a 19% market share, its sales are down 27% year-over-year. The company’s Nova series underperformed compared to last year, but its basic Mate 80 model became Huawei’s best-selling device in January.

Other Chinese brands face significant challenges, with Xiaomi experiencing the largest decline compared to last year, down 36%.

Apple’s success is attributed to the continued strong sales momentum of the iPhone 17 series, helping the company achieve its highest January market share in five years. The base model iPhone 17 is now eligible for government subsidies, improving its cost performance and driving a 9% month-over-month increase in sales.

Counterpoint Research notes that the price reduction for the iPhone 17 series is currently relatively small, indicating that Apple still has room to further adjust prices or optimize profit margins before launching the next generation of devices.

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