FILE PHOTO: A woman uses her smartphone inside the Apple store in Beijing's Sanlitun area as the new iPhone 17 series smartphones go on sale in Beijing, China September 19, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People gather next to an advertisement board at the Apple store in Beijing's Sanlitun area during the start of sales of the new iPhone 17 series smartphones in Beijing, China September 19, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

By Che Pan and Brenda Goh

BEIJING (Reuters) -Sales of iPhones in China rose 22% from year-earlier levels in the first month after the iPhone 17 series launched, even as the broader market softened, a private survey showed on Friday.

The new lineup drove most of Apple's smartphone sales in China in the period from the September 19 launch, with the 17 series accounting for nearly four-fifths of units sold to consumers, according to the data from research firm Counterpoint.

Sales of iPhones in China were down 5% during the first month after the iPhone 16 line launched in September 2024.

The iPhone 17 launch drew hundreds of people to Apple's Beijing flagship on release day - a sign of continued enthusiasm for the brand, despite intensifying competition from Xiaomi and Huawei.

China's smartphone market remained weak amid subdued consumer demand, with third‑quarter sales down 2.7% year on year, Counterpoint said.

(Reporting by Che Pan and Brenda Goh; Editing by William Mallard)