China’s smartphone shipments declined by 4.3% year-on-year to 66 million units in the second quarter of 2026 as higher device prices discouraged consumers from upgrading, according to new data released by research firm IDC.
The decline marks the fifth consecutive quarter of falling smartphone shipments in the world’s largest smartphone market. Overall shipments during the first half of the year also dropped 4.2% compared with the same period in 2025.
Huawei and Apple were the only major smartphone manufacturers to record shipment growth during the quarter.
Huawei posted a 19.4% increase in shipments to retain its position as China’s largest smartphone vendor with a 22.6% market share, while Apple recorded a 24.4% increase, capturing an 18.1% share of the market.
In contrast, several Android manufacturers experienced double-digit declines. Xiaomi’s shipments fell 21.7%, while Oppo and Vivo recorded declines of 9.7% and 11.4%, respectively.
According to IDC, many Android manufacturers raised smartphone prices or reduced the availability of budget models to offset rising memory chip and component costs.
The research firm noted that Huawei and Apple maintained relatively stable pricing during the quarter, giving consumers greater incentive to purchase their devices while competitors increased prices.
IDC also attributed the market slowdown to the waning impact of government subsidy programmes that had previously stimulated smartphone demand, leaving consumers more hesitant to replace existing devices.
