Apple's iPhone 18 Pro series is posting strong early sales after launching in China, boosting its presence in a sluggish local smartphone market.

NineToFiveMac reported on Wednesday that iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max sales in China rose 12 percent in the first three days after launch from a year earlier. Apple, helped by the result, posted a 33 percent sales share in China's smartphone market in the 38th week of 2026, ranking No. 1 by brand.

China's smartphone market has recently shrunk amid weak demand and rising memory prices. Weekly smartphone sales in China have continued to fall at a double-digit pace from a year earlier since July, Counterpoint Research said. But the iPhone 18 Pro series' strong start lifted Apple's sales.

Counterpoint Research cited three factors behind the strong performance. It said the delayed release of the base iPhone 18 led some replacement demand to shift to the Pro models rather than wait.

Rising prices for Chinese premium smartphones also had an impact. Some models of Chinese makers' recent flagship products rose by more than $200 from their predecessors due to factors including higher-capacity memory and the use of 2-nanometre chips. The narrower price gap between iPhone Pro models and Chinese premium smartphones boosted Apple's relative price competitiveness, the report said.

Active support from distribution channels also underpinned sales. Counterpoint Research pointed to aggressive channel support such as advertising and promotions by retailers and mobile carriers as a key factor.

Still, it is too early to say the overall Chinese smartphone market has shifted into a recovery. Counterpoint Research forecast that September product launches could support a short-term rebound, but higher memory costs could push up Chinese makers' flagship prices and weigh on fourth-quarter sales.