Updated
Updated · TechNode · Jul 7
China's 618 Smartphone Sales Fall 13% as Brands Raise Prices and Cut Discounts
Updated
Updated · TechNode · Jul 7

China's 618 Smartphone Sales Fall 13% as Brands Raise Prices and Cut Discounts

3 articles · Updated · TechNode · Jul 7

Summary

  • May 26-June 21 smartphone sales in China dropped 13% from a year earlier during the month-long 618 shopping festival, according to Counterpoint Research.
  • Higher memory costs pushed major brands to raise prices, while this year's promotions were less aggressive in both discount depth and the number of models included, weakening demand.
  • All major Chinese smartphone brands except Huawei posted double-digit declines, with Honor down 33% and Xiaomi off 24%.
  • The slump suggests Chinese vendors struggled to use 618—one of the country's key online shopping events—to offset softer consumer appetite with promotions.

Insights

Is this the end of the affordable smartphone in China?
As sales crash, are China's phone makers secretly winning a war on profits?
While its rivals falter, how is Huawei winning China's brutal smartphone war?