Apple sales jump in China

Counterpoint’s China Weekly Sell‑Out Tracker frames the period as the first nine weeks of 2026 and reports the overall Chinese smartphone market contracted 4% year‑on‑year in that window. (counterpointresearch.com) Counterpoint notes government subsidy programs rolled out at the start of the year had limited impact on demand through February, even as platforms ran targeted promotions during the Lunar New Year sales window. (counterpointresearch.com) Counterpoint also documents rival OEM moves: OPPO and vivo announced price increases for select existing models to pass on rising memory costs, with those changes slated to take effect in March. (counterpointresearch.com) Apple’s mainland App Store commission structure was changed effective March 15, 2026 — the standard rate for in‑app purchases and paid apps in China was cut to 25% and small‑business/mini‑app rates adjusted to 12% on Apple’s developer page. (developer.apple.com) Tim Cook appeared at Apple’s Chengdu Taikoo Li 50th‑anniversary event on March 18, 2026, a stop that coincided with Beijing‑centric messaging about the company’s China strategy. (macrumors.com) E‑commerce platforms amplified price breaks: Pinduoduo’s “百亿补贴” subsidy launched iPhone 17 offers with discounts up to ~1,000 yuan, while JD.com and Tmall carried trade‑in and installment subsidies (JD trade‑in programs reported up to ~2,100 RMB in some channels). (finance.sina.cn) (news.futunn.com) Counterpoint warns the memory‑price squeeze is likely to persist through 2026 and forecasts continued market pressure from March through May, with potential sales relief tied to the mid‑year 618 shopping festival in early June. (counterpointresearch.com)