finance
China Smartphone Sales Fell 16 Percent Year Over Year During May Day Holiday
Counterpoint Research reported that smartphone sales in China dropped 16 percent year over year during the two weeks around the 2026 May Day holiday. Higher memory prices raised handset costs and reduced consumer upgrades. Manufacturers also reduced promotions to protect profit margins.
May 19, 5:55 AM·1m read1 source
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Counterpoint Research stated on Tuesday that China's smartphone sales fell 16 percent year over year during the two weeks surrounding the 2026 May Day holiday. The decline occurred as rising memory costs increased handset prices and reduced consumer willingness to upgrade devices.
The research firm noted that smartphone makers reduced aggressive promotions compared with previous years, placing greater emphasis on profitability over sales volume. Chinese Android brands raised prices on legacy models by an average of 13 percent because of higher component costs.
Counterpoint Research said these price increases could continue to weigh on demand in the near term. The firm also reported that Huawei strengthened its market position while Apple navigated a more competitive upgrade cycle.
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