Released almost two weeks ago without a "vanilla" iPhone 18 by their side and with a long overdue iPhone Duo that stole much of their spotlight despite not actually going on sale at the same time as them, the ultra-high-end new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max were largely predicted to disappoint at the global box-office.
Just how big is the iPhone 18 Pro duo in the world's largest smartphone market?
According to a new Counterpoint Research report, big enough to make Apple China's top smartphone vendor for the year's September 14-20 week with no less than 33 percent market share.
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That may not sound very impressive... until you remember that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max made their joint commercial debut on September 18. That means three days were enough for the Apple A20 Pro-powered handsets to propel their manufacturer into a comfortable number one position in the world's biggest smartphone market after sitting in third place last year, for instance, and grabbing the second spot on the podium in Q2 2026 with a regional slice of the pie estimated at around 19 percent.
Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, the upgraded new Apple crown jewels apparently posted a 12 percent improvement in early Chinese sales, which is definitely a great and somewhat unexpected progress... although it's likely not enough to cover for the missing base model in the iPhone 18 roster until next spring.
What other devices are currently shining in China?
Although the name of the nation's number two smartphone vendor during Apple's dominant Week 38 of 2026 is not explicitly mentioned, one can easily figure out that Huawei is in fact its homeland's silver medalist thanks to eccentric new models like the wide-screen non-foldable Pura X View and "renewed" blockbusters like the foldable Pura X Max.
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The gap between the iPhone 18 duo and all other devices is absolutely massive. | Image by Ice Universe on X
The Pura X View is actually ranked among the top ten best-selling smartphone models in China for this September 14-20 timeframe in a graph shared by Ice Universe on X, being outsold only by the iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, Huawei Enjoy 90 Pro Max, Honor Play 60A, iPhone 17 Pro, and Honor X80 Pro Max.
Of course, what's more notable about that list is that it includes no less than five different iPhones in the top seven group, and if you look down the hierarchy, you're likely to notice that Samsung doesn't have a single device among the 30 most popular handsets in the world's largest smartphone market. That's not particularly surprising, but it's still a big bust for the likes of the Galaxy S26, S26 Ultra, Z Fold 8, and Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Can the iPhone 18 Pro duo help the market return to growth soon?
That's definitely possible but still far from guaranteed after China's overall smartphone sales declined by a worrying 17 percent between last year's Week 33 to 38 period and the same timeframe of 2026.
The current state of the Chinese smartphone market is... not great. | Image by Counterpoint Research
That looks like way too big of a drop for two handsets to offset on their own by the end of the year, but that's why it's important to note that other devices (like the aforementioned Huawei Pura X View and Pura X Max but also the Xiaomi 18 Fold or Redmi Note 17 Pro) are selling very well in China now that consumers have started to get used to buying costlier phones than in previous years.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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