Apple Crushes Competition in China’s 618 Ecommerce Festival – Sales Volume & Value King

Tech giant Apple flexes its dominance yet again—smashing sales records during China's 618 shopping bonanza. While local brands scrambled for scraps, Cupertino's iPhones and MacBooks vacuumed up both volume and revenue crowns.

No contest: Apple's ecosystem lock-in proves unstoppable

Chinese consumers voted with their wallets—dumping 'national champions' for the fruit logo's premium cachet. The numbers don't lie: when it comes to moving units and extracting maximum yuan per device, nobody does it like Tim Cook's money-printing operation.

Meanwhile, crypto bros watching from the sidelines: 'But muh decentralized future!' Keep dreaming—turns out people still prefer shiny status symbols over magical internet beans.

TLDRs;

• Apple led both in unit volume and total revenue during China’s 2025 618 shopping festival.
• JD.com dominated as the top online retailer for smartphones, driving billions in orders.
• Government subsidies played a critical role in boosting electronics sales across the board.
• Xiaomi and Huawei performed strongly in mid-tier segments, but Apple remained untouchable at the top.

Apple has once again demonstrated its dominance in China’s hyper-competitive smartphone market by emerging as the top-selling brand in both volume and value during the country’s 618 ecommerce festival.

The latest TechInsights report reveals that Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup outpaced all other smartphones in sales across every pricing category, reinforcing the tech giant’s firm grip on the high-end segment despite a broader trend of price-driven value erosion in the overall market.

China’s 618 festival, initially conceived as an anniversary sale by JD.com, has matured into a national shopping phenomenon that spans multiple ecommerce platforms. This year’s event, which kicked off early on May 13, brought in a staggering 855.6 billion yuan, or roughly $119 billion in total sales. While that marks a 15.2% year-on-year increase, average spending per item showed signs of compression, driven largely by retailer discounts and promotional pricing.

iPhone 16 Leads as Apple Tops 618 Festival

Despite that, Apple held strong at the premium end. The iPhone 16, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max models secured the top three positions across all smartphone categories. The strength of Apple’s brand and customer loyalty appears to have overridden economic caution and price sensitivity, even as domestic brands launched aggressive campaigns to capture mid-tier buyers.

In that space, Xiaomi carved out a notable victory. Its Redmi K80 emerged as the most popular Android device, signaling the company’s continued success in offering flagship-like specs at competitive price points. Huawei and Vivo followed closely in the rankings, reinforcing their roles as formidable players with strong brand recognition in both urban and rural markets.

JD.com’s Digital Muscle Powers Festival Momentum

Online channels remain central to the 618 event’s performance, with JD.com cementing its role as the dominant distribution platform for smartphones. The company reported more than 2.2 billion orders and a doubling of shopper traffic compared to last year. It also led the electronics category, an area where it has historically invested in logistics and same-day delivery infrastructure to beat rivals like Alibaba and Pinduoduo.

The 618 festival’s evolution from a single-platform sale to a multi-week, cross-platform juggernaut has not only boosted overall revenue but also changed how brands approach campaign planning. With events now beginning weeks earlier and running longer, companies are spreading out promotions to avoid consumer fatigue and increase exposure.

Subsidies Fuel Electronics Boom

One of the most notable drivers of this year’s momentum came from government policy. National trade-in rebate programs significantly influenced consumer behavior, especially in high-value categories like smartphones and home appliances. JD.com reported a 380% year-on-year jump in electronics sales during the festival’s opening hour, directly linked to subsidy incentives.

Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei, and appliance giants like Midea and Haier each surpassed $13.9 million in sales, proving the subsidy strategy’s effectiveness in boosting domestic consumption and accelerating technology adoption. The approach also aligns with Beijing’s broader objective of transitioning toward a consumption-led economy.

Maturity of China’s Smartphone Ecosystem

Apple’s success in the premium bracket, Xiaomi’s grip on the mid-range, and Huawei’s upward mobility all reflect a market that has become highly stratified. While Chinese brands continue to advance in hardware innovation, Apple’s brand cachet and integrated ecosystem remain difficult to dislodge in the high-end space.

As the 618 festival grows in scale and complexity, the interplay of platform dynamics, government policy, and brand positioning will continue to define the winners in China’s ecommerce battlefield.