Investing.com — Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro series sales in China rose 12% year-over-year in the first week of launch, helping the company take the top spot in the country’s smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research.

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Apple accounted for 33% of China’s smartphone sales in Week 38, which covered September 14-20, even though the iPhone 18 Pro series was on sale for only the final three days of the week, Counterpoint said in a report published on Wednesday.

The research firm said China’s weekly smartphone sales have fallen at a double-digit annual rate since July as soft consumer demand and higher memory costs weighed on the market. September’s new product launches are expected to support a sequential recovery.

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Counterpoint Senior Analyst Ivan Lam said the delayed launch of the standard iPhone 18 may have encouraged some consumers to move up to the Pro models. At the same time, price increases of more than $200 across many Chinese flagship phones may have improved the iPhone Pro’s relative value proposition.

Apple’s strong launch came as Chinese smartphone makers also introduced new flagship models ahead of the country’s National Day holiday. Rising memory costs have pushed up prices for higher-memory versions and phones using 2-nanometer chips, which could weigh on sales later in the year.

Counterpoint expects the latest generation of Chinese flagship models to record lower fourth-quarter sales than their predecessors.

Huawei has introduced the Pura X View, a wide-screen slab phone with a 16:9.5 display ratio aimed at consumers seeking a larger screen without the cost or bulk of a foldable, Counterpoint said. Its pricing and flagship specifications have supported strong initial sales.

Despite Apple’s strong Pro launch, the broader Chinese smartphone market remained weak, with Week 38 sales still 17% below the comparable 2025 week, according to Counterpoint’s tracker.

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Original Article

Apple iPhone 18 Pro sales rise 12% in China launch week – Counterpoint

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