Key Highlights:
Huawei reclaimed the No. 1 position in China’s smartphone market in 2025, marking its first full-year lead since 2020 after recovering from years of US sanctions.
Huawei and Apple were separated by just 0.2 percentage points, underscoring extremely intense competition at the top of China’s smartphone market.
China’s overall smartphone shipments declined in 2025, with rising component costs and slower upgrades creating a tougher outlook for brands in 2026.
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Huawei reclaimed the No. 1 spot in China’s smartphone market in 2025, marking its first full-year leadership since 2020. According to data from International Data Corporation (IDC), Huawei captured a 16.4% market share with shipments of 46.7 million units, narrowly beating Apple’s 16.2%.
The comeback comes after years of pressure from US sanctions and signals a major shift in the world’s largest smartphone market. Huawei’s recovery was driven by its return to 5G, growing use of in-house Kirin chips, and a strong premium lineup led by the Mate and Pura series. IDC noted that improved domestic chip production played a key role in boosting shipments.
Apple finished a close second, helped by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, and even ranked No. 1 in China during Q4 with a 21% market share. Vivo placed third, followed by Xiaomi and Oppo, while Honor dropped out of the top five.
Despite intense competition, the overall market continued to shrink. China’s total smartphone shipments fell 0.6% year-on-year to about 285 million units. Rising memory chip prices and higher production costs forced several brands to raise prices or delay launches.
Looking ahead, analysts warn that 2026 could be even tougher, with slower upgrades, higher costs, and fiercer competition—making Huawei’s new crown harder to defend.
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