Apple iPhone Shipments in China Improved After Weak Start to 2026

Apple appears to have gained from a modest recovery in China’s smartphone market after new shipment data showed foreign-branded phones recorded year-over-year growth in April 2026. The latest figures from China’s telecom research authority also show that overall smartphone demand improved during the month, even though the market still remains under pressure for the year so far.

Foreign-Branded Phone Shipments Increased in April

The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) released its latest mobile phone shipment report covering April and the January to April period.

According to the report, total phone shipments in China reached 25.7 million units in April, which marked a 2.8% increase compared to the same month last year. Domestic brands accounted for most of those shipments with 22.1 million units, representing 86.1% of the market.

That left 3.59 million shipped units for foreign-branded phones, including Apple’s iPhone lineup.

Reuters highlighted that foreign-branded phone shipments in China rose 1.8% year over year in April based on CAICT data. The numbers suggest Apple benefited from stronger market activity during the month after facing slower sales momentum in previous quarters.

Smartphone Market Still Faces Pressure in 2026

The report also showed stronger growth in smartphone shipments specifically. China shipped 25 million smartphones in April, up 12.3% year over year, while smartphones represented 97.3% of all phone shipments during the month.

However, the broader picture for 2026 remains weaker.

CAICT said China’s domestic phone market shipped 86.5 million units between January and April, down 8.6% from the same period last year. Smartphone shipments also declined 5.5% year over year to 82 million units.

The report further noted that brands launched fewer new devices this year, with total new phone models falling 15.3% year over year.