BUSINESS

Chart of the Day: Huawei, Xiaomi Top China Smartphone Sales Ranking

Published: Jun. 5, 2025 7:41 p.m. GMT+8

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Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp. stood together at the top of China’s smartphone shipments rankings for the first quarter of this year, as the tech giants pushed for chip self-sufficiency amid rising trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.

In the three months through March, Huawei took the top spot with an 18% year-on-year increase in shipments, giving it 19% of China’s smartphone market, according to a report published by Counterpoint Research.

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Huawei and Xiaomi each held 19% of China's smartphone market in Q1, with Huawei's shipments up 18% and Xiaomi's up 40% year-on-year.
Counterpoint Research cited state subsidies for smartphones under 6,000 yuan as a factor in their growth.
Huawei and Apple, Oppo, Vivo, and Honor collectively held 57% of the Chinese smartphone market shares.

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Who’s Who

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. topped China's smartphone shipments in Q1 with an 18% increase, securing 19% market share. This comeback follows a period impacted by U.S. sanctions, driven by their self-developed 5G chip and HarmonyOS. Huawei's growth is partly attributed to state subsidies for smartphones under 6,000 yuan.

Xiaomi Corp.: Xiaomi Corp. shared the top spot in China's smartphone shipments for Q1, holding 19% of the market. Its shipments increased by 40% year-on-year, boosted by state subsidies for smartphones under 6,000 yuan. Xiaomi also launched its first in-house designed 3-nanometer system-on-a-chip.

Apple Inc.: Apple Inc. was the third-largest smartphone vendor in China during the first quarter of this year. Along with Oppo, Vivo, and Honor, Apple collectively held 57% of the Chinese smartphone market. Apple also designs its own processors for high-end mobile phones.

Oppo Co. Ltd.: Oppo Co. Ltd. was the fourth-largest smartphone vendor in China during the first quarter of this year. Along with Apple, Vivo Mobile Communications Co. Ltd., and Honor Device Co. Ltd., Oppo collectively held 57% of the Chinese smartphone market.

Vivo Mobile Communications Co. Ltd.: Vivo Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. (Vivo) ranked fifth in China's smartphone sales during the first quarter of this year. Together, with Apple, Oppo, and Honor Device, Vivo held 57% of the Chinese smartphone market.

Honor Device Co. Ltd.: Honor Device Co. Ltd. (Honor) ranked sixth in smartphone sales in China during the first quarter of this year. Honor, along with Apple, Oppo, and Vivo, collectively held 57% of the Chinese smartphone market share during that period.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

From 2021 to 2023：: Huawei was not in the top five of China's smartphone vendor rankings due to the impact of U.S. sanctions.

August 2023：: Huawei launched the Mate 60 Pro, powered by a self-developed 5G chip.

In 2024：: Huawei made a comeback, becoming China's No. 2 smartphone vendor with a 16.3% market share.

July 2024：: Bloomberg reported Huawei was building a $1.4 billion chip R&D center in Shanghai.

October 2024：: Huawei launched a consumer version of HarmonyOS Next, independently of Android.

Since January 2025：: State subsidies have been given to smartphones priced under 6,000 yuan, boosting sales for Huawei and Xiaomi.

In the first quarter of 2025：: Huawei and Xiaomi tied for the top spot in China's smartphone shipments, each with 19% market share.

In the first quarter of 2025：: Xiaomi's smartphone shipments increased by 40% year-on-year.

In the first quarter of 2025：: China’s smartphone shipments grew 5% year-on-year, the sixth straight quarter of growth.

In the three months through March 2025：: Huawei's smartphone shipments increased by 18% year-on-year.

Quarter ending in March 2025：: Apple, Oppo, Vivo, and Honor ranked third to sixth in China's smartphone market, collectively holding 57% market share.