Apple’s iPhone returned to the top of China’s smartphone rankings in May, according to market-tracker Counterpoint Research. The consultancy said the rebound helped drive a 15% year-on-year jump in global iPhone sales during April and May, the strongest two-month showing since the pandemic. The momentum carried into the second quarter. Counterpoint estimates that iPhone sales in mainland China grew 8% from a year earlier in the April-to-June period, marking Apple’s first quarterly increase in the market since 2Q 2023. Analysts attribute the turnaround to aggressive promotions. Chinese e-commerce platforms offered discounts of as much as 2,530 yuan (about $351) on iPhone 16 models in May, while Apple boosted trade-in credits and benefited from government subsidies of up to 500 yuan on select devices ahead of the annual ‘618’ shopping festival. The gains came despite a broader market slump. Data from the government-affiliated China Academy of Information and Communications Technology show total handset shipments in the country sank 22% in May to 23.72 million units, with foreign-brand volumes—including iPhones—down 9.7% to 4.54 million. Counterpoint projects Huawei will finish the quarter as China’s best-selling brand, with Apple likely in second place after a 12% sales surge for its domestic rival. Counterpoint cautions that Apple’s recent momentum could wane if Beijing scales back consumer subsidies later this year. Investors will get a clearer picture when the company reports fiscal third-quarter results on 31 July.