iPhone 17 Lineup Drives Smartphone Growth in China

Apple's iPhone 17 lineup was the clear driver of smartphone growth during China's "Singles Day" shopping festival, according to new industry data.

Apple was the top-selling smartphone brand throughout this year's month-long Singles Day period in China, accounting for 26% of all smartphone sales, according to a new report from Counterpoint Research shared by Reuters. Overall smartphone sales rose just 3% year-over-year, and Counterpoint says the iPhone alone prevented the market from seeing what would otherwise have been a 5% annual decline.

Counterpoint's data indicates that demand for ‌iPhone 17‌ models was particularly strong throughout the festival, which ended on November 11. The rebound continues a trend seen over recent months, during which Apple has steadily outpaced the wider Chinese smartphone market after years of cooling demand.

Data provider Syntun told Reuters that total Singles Day sales across all major e-commerce platforms reached 1.70 trillion yuan ($240 billion), up from 1.44 trillion yuan last year, which had a shorter promotional window. In its most recent earnings call, Apple said it anticipated what could be its strongest December quarter on record.

Huawei recorded the steepest decline among major brands, with its share dropping to 13% from 17% a year ago. Its new flagship Mate 80 launched too late to participate meaningfully in the festival. Xiaomi held the second-largest share with 17%, though its sales also declined year-over-year due to the earlier release timing of the Xiaomi 17 series.