Emir BardakçıTAccording to Counterpoint Research data, mobile phone sales in China fell in January 2026 compared to last year. There was a 23% decrease on an annual basis.
Foreign sources state that the main reason for this decline was the sale of Chinese state-subsidized mobile phones last year. Phone sales, which were higher than normal in January 2025, caused the charts to show a decline this year.
Xiaomi became the brand with the highest decline in sales figures with a 36% drop. Apple became the only brand with increasing sales at 8%.
According to the charts, while the sales of all Chinese manufacturers decreased, Apple’s sales figures increased. Considering the state-subsidized phone sales made last year, this shows us that users do not prefer Android phones unless they are cheap.
Sales are expected to rise again with the release of Xiaomi’s Xiaomi 17 Max and REDMI K90 Ultra devices after the Chinese New Year holiday.
Source: Counterpoint Research
If you continue with this mindset, it’s very normal
Why is Xiaomi making it so easy to lose ground to Apple in the premium market? Some of their regional policies just don’t make sense and are actively hamstringing their global potential.
Take the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, for example. Ignoring the massive appeal for a global release feels entirely out of touch with their international fan base. But the hardware exclusivity is only half the problem – the software disparity is just as frustrating. Why are the best features always reserved for the Chinese ROM? Apps like the Vault are noticeably more refined locally, and even basic utilities like the Weather app run smoother and feel more complete than their global counterparts.
Apple delivers a unified, premium experience everywhere; Xiaomi fragments theirs. If Xiaomi truly wants to compete on the world stage, they need to stop holding back their best innovations and start delivering a consistent experience across all regions.
Relying on domestic dominance won’t guarantee sustained global growth. Until they bridge this gap, they risk capping their ceiling as a strong regional brand rather than the truly dominant global competitor they aim to be.
Why is Xiaomi making it so easy to lose ground to Apple in the premium market? Some of their regional policies just don’t make sense and are actively hamstringing their global potential.
Take the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, for example. Ignoring the massive appeal for a global release feels entirely out of touch with their international fan base. But the hardware exclusivity is only half the problem—the software disparity is just as frustrating. Why are the best features always reserved for the Chinese ROM? Apps like the Vault are noticeably more refined locally, and even basic utilities like the Weather app run smoother and feel more complete than their global counterparts.
Apple delivers a unified, premium experience everywhere; Xiaomi fragments theirs. If Xiaomi truly wants to compete on the world stage, they need to stop holding back their best innovations and start delivering a consistent experience across all regions. Relying on domestic dominance won’t guarantee sustained global growth. Until they bridge this gap, they risk capping their ceiling as a strong regional brand rather than the truly dominant global competitor they aim to be.