Huawei Reclaims Top Spot in China’s Smartphone Market, Edging Out Apple

TLDR

• Huawei regained the No. 1 spot in China’s smartphone market with 46.7M units shipped, surpassing Apple.
• Despite a 1.9% drop in shipments, Huawei’s in-house chip development helped it secure market leadership.
• Apple grew by 4% in 2025, shipping 46.2M units, but couldn’t beat Huawei’s annual lead.
• Other Chinese brands like Vivo and Xiaomi faced growth challenges, largely due to rising production costs.
• Total smartphone shipments in China fell by 0.6%, with the memory chip shortage impacting market performance in 2025.

Huawei Technologies regained the No. 1 position in China’s smartphone market in 2025, surpassing Apple. According to SCMP, the company shipped 46.7 million units, capturing a 16.4% market share. This narrowly edged out Apple, which shipped 46.2 million iPhones for a 16.2% market share.

Huawei Overtakes Apple Despite US Sanctions

Huawei’s market share increased despite the impact of US sanctions. The company experienced a 1.9% decline in smartphone shipments from the previous year. However, Apple saw a 4% growth in the same period.

Huawei’s recovery is attributed to the development of in-house processors. The company used its latest Kirin 9030 chip in its premium flagship, the Mate 80 Pro Max. Will Wong, senior research manager at IDC, stated, “The improvement in Huawei’s in-house chip production was key to its momentum.”

This marks Huawei’s first full-year lead in China’s smartphone market since 2020. During this period, US sanctions severely impacted Huawei’s access to advanced chips.

Competitive Smartphone Space Shifts in China

Other Chinese smartphone brands faced challenges in maintaining growth due to rising production costs. Domestic brands like Vivo and Xiaomi struggled to keep up with Huawei’s resurgence. Vivo shipped 46.1 million units in 2025, maintaining the third spot in the market.

The total smartphone shipments in China decreased by 0.6%, with 284.6 million units sold. IDC predicts the market will decline further in 2026 due to a global memory chip shortage. Wong also highlighted, “Rising memory costs remain a critical challenge for smartphone manufacturers. The price hikes in memory components affected the production of budget models.

As a result, Xiaomi and Honor raised prices, while Meizu canceled the launch of a new handset. High-end brands like Huawei and Apple are likely to benefit in 2026, as premium margins help offset rising production costs. In the December quarter, Apple gained 21.5%, leading the market with the iPhone 17 release. Despite Huawei’s lead for the year, Apple remained a strong competitor in China’s smartphone market.

The post Huawei Reclaims Top Spot in China’s Smartphone Market, Edging Out Apple appeared first on Blockonomi.