IDC’s latest Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker says China smartphone shipments reached about 69.01 million units in the first quarter of 2026, down 3.3% from a year earlier. Even with that decline, the market performed slightly better than expected.
According to the report, the main support came from Huawei and Apple. IDC says stronger momentum from those two brands helped soften the broader market slowdown at the start of the year.
Huawei remained the top brand in the Q1 2026 smartphone market. The firm said improved supply of the Mate 80 series, together with continued traction from the foldable Pura X, helped the company extend its growth trend and hold first place in China.
IDC added that shipments of the Huawei Pura X alone exceeded the combined volume of flagship foldable models from the next three vendors behind it. That was one of the clearest signs of ongoing Huawei smartphone growth in the premium segment.
Apple also played a role in supporting the market, though IDC noted that supply constraints limited how much the iPhone 17 lineup could push volumes higher. Even so, the company’s presence remained one of the key stabilizers for overall China smartphone shipments during the quarter.
The report says China’s smartphone market still had a relatively solid start to 2026 compared with what may come later in the year. IDC expects the first quarter to end up being the strongest quarter of the year for the domestic market.
Looking ahead, IDC believes local phone makers will stay focused on efficiency, steadier operations, and product upgrades rather than aggressive expansion. The firm also pointed to growing attention around after-sales hardware upgrades, including new battery replacement efforts for older devices.
Taken together, the new IDC report paints a market that’s still under pressure, but not without bright spots. Huawei’s recovery and Apple smartphone shipments helped keep the Q1 2026 smartphone market from slipping more sharply.
