iPhone sales rise in China for first time in two years, but Huawei still leads

Apple iPhone

Apple has posted its first iPhone sales growth in China in two years, with shipments rising 8% year-on-year in Q2 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The rebound comes as Apple leans heavily on promotional pricing and strategic trade-in incentives to claw back market share in its second-largest market.

A major boost came from May discounts on the iPhone 16 lineup, particularly around China’s 618 shopping festival, one of the country’s biggest e-commerce events. Apple also bumped up trade-in values for older models, a move Counterpoint called “well timed and well received.”

“Apple’s adjustment of iPhone prices in May was well timed and well received, coming a week ahead of the 618 shopping festival,” said Ethan Qi, associate director at Counterpoint.

But while Apple regains momentum, it’s far from reclaiming the top spot. Huawei continues its resurgence in the mainland market, with its sales jumping 12% year-on-year in the same quarter. Huawei has not only expanded its domestic reach but has also begun cautiously re-entering international markets, despite ongoing geopolitical headwinds.

Huawei now leads the Chinese smartphone market by share, followed by Vivo, with Apple settling into third place. Counterpoint attributes Huawei’s continued rise to deep-rooted brand loyalty, particularly among users upgrading from older models.

“Huawei is still riding high on core user loyalty as they replace their old phones for new Huawei releases,” noted Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam.