Counterpoint today shared its analysis on China’s smartphone market during the 2026 May Day Sales, where Huawei is leading with strong performance. Even though the entire market saw a decline, the tech giant scored well among top rivals like Apple.
The report reveals that the Chinese smartphone sales market fell by 16% YoY in the May Day Sales 2026 period. Inputs suggest that the market was mainly affected due to the memory-driven prices dampening the upgrade demand.
On the other hand, Huawei continued to lead the smartphone sales market in May Day 2026 – all thanks to the strong performance of its recently unveiled devices and smart pricing strategy.
In the past few months, the increase in memory prices and shortage have forced many brands to raise the cost of both new and existing smartphones. These shifts in the market resulted in suppressing consumer upgrade demand.
Moreover, the promotional intensity during the May Day Sales 2026 was weaker compared to the previous years due to brands running behind profit instead of sales.
(Image Credits: Counterpoint)
But the case was quite different with Huawei. The company continued to lead the Chinese smartphone market as the Enjoy 90 Pro Max showed a strong sales performance.
And the credit goes to its exceptional battery life + strong value-for-money positioning in the market. Meanwhile, Huawei has maintained a good price for its newly released devices despite the ongoing memory crisis in the smartphone industry.
The report highlights that while other phone brands were busy increasing the price due to cost and memory pressure, Huawei offered discounts on older models like Nova 15/Mate 80, which boosted its supply chain and market share.
Counterpoint said:
“Combined with its stable pricing strategy, Huawei has maintained a weekly sales market share of above 25% since April. Additionally, strong sales of the Pura 90 series, Pura X Max, and Enjoy 90 Pro Max further reinforced Huawei’s leading position during the May Day holiday period.”
Apple also recorded growth in this segment as the price increase in other phones made the iPhone look more competitive. Besides, the subsidy plan has helped the firm at the base level.
The post Huawei leads smartphone market in 2026 May Day Sales: Counterpoint appeared first on Huawei Central.
