Huawei returns to the Chinese smartphone throne

According to data released by data analysis company IDC on January 15, including 2025, Huawei holds a market share of 16.4% with 46.7 million smartphones shipped in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, Apple reached 46.2 million units, accounting for 16.2% of the market share and ranked second.

Compared to 2024, Huawei’s market share decreased by 1.9% but still ranked first in China, while Apple achieved a growth of 4%. In 2024, Vivo will be the country’s largest phone company in terms of output.

This is the first time Huawei has returned to the Chinese smartphone “throne” on a yearly basis since 2020, when the US tightened sanctions on the company and cut off the supply of advanced chips.

Huawei has dominated the Chinese smartphone market for many years, even leading the world in some quarters. However, bans from the US forced the company to switch to using self-designed chips. Huawei’s latest mobile chip is Kirin 9030, currently equipped in the highest-end Mate 80 Pro Max.

“Continuously improving internal chip manufacturing capacity is a key driver in 2025, creating the necessary foundation for Huawei’s shipment momentum,” commented Mr. Will Wong, IDC’s customer device research manager in the Asia-Pacific region.

China’s smartphone market share is currently fiercely competitive, with third place Vivo not having a big difference compared to the top two positions. It shipped 46.1 million phones in 2025, followed by Xiaomi and Oppo. Honor has dropped out of the top 5 rankings.

According to IDC, China – the world’s largest smartphone market – recorded a decrease of 0.6% compared to 2024 with total production reaching 284.6 million units. This market research firm predicts an even sharper decline in 2026 due to memory chip shortages.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers are facing increasing pressure from the global memory supply chain, with suppliers such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron Technology prioritizing components for AI chips amid strong demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Previously, Xiaomi and Honor announced plans to increase smartphone and tablet prices, while Meizu had to cancel the launch of new phones due to cost pressure.

“Increasing memory chip prices create significant pressure on smartphone manufacturers. This will remain a major challenge throughout 2026,” Mr. Wong said.

Also according to this expert, compared to more than 5 years ago, the context in China has changed. Faced with the rise of Huawei, some businesses in this country have stepped up export activities, shifting their focus to emerging markets such as India and Africa to avoid direct competition from Huawei.

In addition, IDC estimates that companies will have a stronger presence in the high-end segment. This provided an important advantage during the year as high profit margins helped offset increasing production costs.