Collins Sefa Huawei Technologies has reclaimed the No. 1 position in China’s smartphone market in 2025, narrowly edging out Apple, according to data from International Data Corporation (IDC).
For the full year, Huawei shipped 46.7 million smartphones, capturing 16.4% of the mainland market, compared with Apple’s 46.2 million units (16.2%). This marks Huawei’s first full-year lead in China since 2020, following years of US sanctions that restricted access to advanced chips.
Despite a slight decline in overall shipments (down 1.9% year-on-year), Huawei’s success is largely attributed to its shift to self-designed, China-made processors, including the flagship Kirin 9030 used in the Mate 80 Pro Max.
“The continuous improvement in Huawei’s in-house chip production was a key driver in 2025, providing the necessary support for its shipment momentum,” said Will Wong, Senior Research Manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia-Pacific.
The competitive landscape in China also shifted as other domestic brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo focused on international markets such as India and Africa, giving Huawei room to consolidate its domestic market share.
Vivo followed closely behind Apple with 46.1 million units shipped, while Xiaomi and Oppo maintained strong positions further down the ranking.
Market Challenges Ahead
China’s smartphone market declined slightly by 0.6% in 2025, totaling 284.6 million units, with IDC warning that the ongoing global memory chip shortage could worsen the slowdown in 2026.
Rising memory costs have already pressured domestic manufacturers. Xiaomi and Honor announced price increases for their devices, while Meizu canceled a planned handset launch due to cost constraints. Higher-end models now offer premium margins to absorb production cost increases, a factor expected to benefit both Huawei and Apple in 2026.
Apple, meanwhile, dominated the fourth quarter in China, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, achieving a 21% market share for the period. Globally, Apple retained its lead with 19.7% of worldwide smartphone shipments, followed by Samsung at 19.1%, with Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo rounding out the top five.
Huawei’s resurgence underscores the growing importance of domestic chip production and strategic focus on premium devices as Chinese smartphone makers navigate a challenging global supply chain.
