Sales of smartphones in China fell 7.5% sequentially in Q3 after registering a 22.4% growth in the previous quarter.

Digitimes Research found Q3 smartphone shipments were down 14.2% from a year earlier.

Shipments to China are expected to rebound about 10% in Q4, driven by replenishment demand ahead of the forthcoming Lunar New Year holidays.

Researchers say, however, that Q4 shipments will still represent a single-digit drop from a year earlier, as China’s economy and market demand remain weak.

This will play out whether or not the US and China ease their bitter trade dispute which is currently in a crucial stage.

Researchers say that in Q4 only two out of the top-five vendors, Huawei and Apple, are expected to see shipments increase by more than 20% on-year.

Digitimes Research estimates the other three vendors will suffer a setback of more than 20%.