Foreign-branded smartphone shipments in China edged up in April, but the pace of growth slowed compared with earlier in the year.
Shipments reached 3.59 million units in April, an increase of 1.8% from the same period last year.
The figures come from China’s state-linked research data on handset shipments. Total smartphone shipments in the country stood at 25.73 million units, up 2.8% year on year.
Growth is still present, but only just. April marks the weakest performance for foreign brands in months and sits well below the strength recorded in the first quarter.
In that quarter, foreign brands expanded at a far quicker pace. Apple alone shipped 13.1 million iPhones in China in the first three months of the year, up from 9.2 million a year earlier.
That represents growth of about 42%. The foreign-brand category also posted double-digit gains over the same period.
China’s overall smartphone market, however, did not follow the same direction. Total shipments fell 3.3% in the first quarter to around 69 million units. Domestic brands took the bulk of sales, while foreign players held a smaller share of the market.
Huawei moved back into the top position in China during the quarter for the first time in five years. Apple held second place. Both companies were responsible for much of the activity in the premium segment.
Huawei’s growth was supported by strong demand for its Mate 80 series and its foldable Pura X device. Apple also saw solid demand for its iPhone 17 range. At the same time, Xiaomi recorded a steep decline, with shipments falling by around 35%.
Outside China, Apple reached a major milestone in the same period. It became the world’s largest smartphone maker in the first quarter of 2026, taking a 21% global market share.
Samsung followed, also at 21%. The iPhone 17 series performed strongly, taking several top positions in global sales rankings.
Back in China, the April slowdown for foreign brands stands out. The 1.8% rise shows demand has cooled compared with the earlier surge.
The figures do not break down individual companies, but Apple is still the dominant foreign company in the market. Other brands such as Samsung and Sony account for the remainder of the category.
The environment helps explain some of the movement. High memory chip costs have affected pricing across the industry.
Apple has largely avoided major price increases, while several competitors adjusted prices upward. That shift appears to have pulled some demand forward into earlier months.
There is also a seasonal pattern. April often shows weaker growth in smartphone markets as consumers wait for later product cycles. I note that this period usually sits between early-year demand spikes and the build-up to new launches later in the year.
Market-wide data supports this slowdown. March shipments reached 21.15 million units, down 7.1% year on year but up strongly from February. Domestic brands accounted for the vast majority of sales during that period, leaving foreign brands with a stable but limited share.
Apple has been working to steady its position in China after a difficult 2024. The strong first quarter suggested a recovery was under way, driven by both replacement demand and interest in the latest iPhone models.
April complicates that picture. One month does not define a trend, but it does interrupt the pace seen earlier in the year. The next set of data will be important. May and June figures will show whether demand has simply paused or whether growth is levelling out.
There is also a comparison effect to consider. Late 2025 saw unusually strong foreign-brand shipments, which makes current year-on-year growth harder to sustain. That base effect is likely to influence the rest of 2026 reporting.
China’s smartphone market is stable but not expanding. Foreign brands are still growing, but at a far slower rate than earlier in the year. Apple is still a key driver in the premium segment, but the scale has clearly eased.
