Apple Sees Record October in China With Strong iPhone 17 Demand

Apple had a bumper month for iPhone sales in China in October, with sales jumping 37% compared to a year earlier on strong demand for iPhone 17 models, according to data from research firm Counterpoint.

iPhone 17 Colors
One in every four smartphones sold in the country for the month was an iPhone – a market share milestone Apple hasn't achieved since 2022, when there were fewer rivals in the premium segment. The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max reached mid-to-high double-digit percentage growth, led by the standard iPhone 17.

New iPhone models accounted for more than 80% of Apple's unit sales, Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam said. It is the best ever start to a December quarter for Apple, far surpassing its previous peak in October 2021.

"There is always some risk, especially with the much-expected Huawei Mate 80 series launching on November 25," said Lam. "But there's a lot of momentum behind Apple at this point. There is not much tapering to indicate a steep drop off."

China's overall smartphone sell-through grew 8% year-over-year in October, thanks to the performance of Apple's iPhone 17 series as well as that of domestic manufacturers like Xiaomi, which climbed to the number 2 spot for the first time in over a decade.

counterpoint iphone 17 sales october 2025 china
The data paints a rosy picture for Apple in the Chinese market, despite reports of a lukewarm reception for the iPhone Air, which has also performed poorly in other markets.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...

Top Rated Comments

UliBaer Avatar
3 hours ago at 02:45 am
No wonder, finally a regular iPhone not artificially crippled with missing upsell features...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
3 hours ago at 02:14 am
Due these numbers not ring a bell at Apple? Stop locking features for previous-gen products. Release iPhones with innovative features instead of forced upgrades.

Steve said and applied "Quality first, the money comes after".

Fix your QC and design decisions Apple!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xiJulian_ Avatar
3 hours ago at 02:46 am
Will Apple finally realize people DO actually care about features like ProMotion and add it to their other overpriced products?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snipr125 Avatar
3 hours ago at 02:39 am
The iPhone 17 is the best premium mid range phone on the market so no surprise it’s doing so well in China.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jrdatrackstar1223 Avatar
2 hours ago at 03:06 am
Well imagine that, Apple actually released a product that is worth the money they’re charging and people buy it :rolleyes:…
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CEmajr Avatar
14 minutes ago at 05:16 am
iPhone 17 has the best price/value ratio of the current lineup of phones.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)