- China's domestic mobile phone shipments came in at 16.789 million units in February, a decline of 14.6%.
- Amid a sluggish smartphone market, 5G handsets and domestic brands maintain their dominant position.
China's mobile phone shipments continued their double-digit decline in February, highlighting persistently weak demand in the world's largest smartphone market.
Data released on Wednesday by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed that domestic mobile phone shipments stood at 16.789 million units in February, down 14.6% year-on-year.
This drop follows a 16.1% slump in January, indicating that the industry's recovery still faces challenges.
Notably, the 2026 Chinese New Year holiday fell between February 15 and 23, a month that is typically a slow season for consumption. Last year, the holiday took place from January 28 to February 4.
Under current market pressures, 5G phones remain the main driving force.
Shipments of 5G mobile phones reached 15.931 million units in February, accounting for 94.9% of total shipments during the same period, though sales fell 11.4% year-on-year, according to CAICT.
Local smartphone makers continued to dominate the domestic market, with shipments of domestic brands reaching 14.355 million units in February, capturing an 85.5% market share.
To stimulate consumer demand, major mobile phone manufacturers are still actively laying out their strategies, with 23 new models released domestically in February.
The number of new models surged 76.9% year-on-year, and all newly released models were from domestic brands, demonstrating the vitality of local manufacturers, CAICT noted.
