An Apple store in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. Photo: IC

Apple was the fastest-growing smartphone maker in China in the second quarter, following price cuts of its latest iPhones during the mid-year shopping festival, according to research data.

Apple's iPhone sales in China increased 62 percent year-on-year to 13 million units in the second quarter, up 225 percent from the first quarter, data from CINNO Research showed.

Separately, figures from Counterpoint Research showed 7.4 million iPhones have gone to Apple's retail partners in China from April to June, up 32 percent from the previous year. 

The increase in sales is thanks in part to the release of the iPhone 11 series last year and the promotion strategies during the Chinese shopping festival in June, according to Counterpoint.

On Alibaba's Tmall, consumers can buy an iPhone 11 model for 4,779 yuan ($669), down 13 percent from the original price of 5,499 yuan. On JD.com the iPhone 11 Pro Max is priced at 7,499 yuan, more than 21 percent down from its original price on JD.com, according to media reports.

In comparison, domestic brand Huawei sold significantly more phones than Apple in China in the second quarter. It sold 36.6 million units, up 14 percent from the previous year, and was the best-selling brand in the Chinese market. The growth rate, however, was lower than for Apple.

Other Chinese phone makers including Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi saw declines in sales as the overall domestic market fell 17 percent year-on-year.