According to market data, Apple became the best-selling smartphone company in China in the last quarter of the year. While the iPhone 17 series garnered significant interest, the iPhone Air was the weakest product.
Apple has regained leadership in the Chinese smartphone market. According to Counterpoint Research data, iPhone shipments increased by 28 percent in the holiday quarter, bringing Apple back to the top of the list. This rise occurred despite a deepening global memory chip shortage.
iPhone 17 Series Led the Way
According to the data, one out of every five smartphones shipped in China during the December quarter was an iPhone. The iPhone 17 series was at the center of consumer interest. During the same period, Huawei and Xiaomi's shipments declined by double-digit rates. Total shipments in the world's largest smartphone market recorded a 1.6 percent decrease.
The biggest uncertainty in the industry continues to be the increasing supply deficit for semiconductors used in data storage. Many companies, from Micron to Xiaomi, are warning about the effects of the tightening memory chip supply. The root of this deficit lies in memory manufacturers shifting a significant portion of their capacity to high-end memory solutions required for Nvidia's AI chips.
This trend is driving up memory prices and putting significant pressure on smaller players who cannot secure long-term supply agreements. According to Counterpoint analysts, memory prices are expected to increase by 40-50 percent in the first quarter of 2026, with an additional increase of approximately 20 percent in the second quarter. Faced with this situation, smartphone manufacturers are expected to optimize their product portfolios by reducing entry-level models to maintain profitability.
Memory Crisis to Benefit Apple
TSMC CEO C.C. Wei had pointed out that the effects of the memory crisis were not evenly distributed and emphasized that high-end smartphones would not be significantly affected by this process. Apple, with its entire product range positioned in the premium segment, therefore stands out as one of the most resilient manufacturers.
When evaluated for 2025 overall, Apple is just behind Huawei in China's shipment rankings. Both companies hold approximately 17 percent market share. While Apple's total shipments for 2025 increased by 7.5 percent, its weakest product was the iPhone Air model.
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