Shipments in the Chinese smartphone market in 2025 underscored resilient demand for multiple domestic brands, while Apple also reported solid growth, according to a report from market research firm Omdia. Analysts said that the trend highlights the sustained strengthening of Chinese brands' competitiveness as well as the diversity and openness of the market. In terms of vendor rankings for 2025 shipments, Huawei topped the market with a 16.4% share, posting 2% year-on-year shipment growth. Xiaomi ranked fourth with a 15% share, as its shipments rose 4% year-on-year, while OPPO placed fifth with the same share, with shipments broadly unchanged from a year earlier. Apple ranked third with a 16% share, and 7% year-on-year shipment growth, reflecting steady momentum in the Chinese market. Industry data earlier this year showed Huawei's ranking climbing from sixth place in 2023 to second in 2024 and then to first in 2025. With shipments of 46.7 million units and a 16.4% market share, the company surpassed Apple to regain the top position in China for the first time in five years.
Liu Dingding, a veteran industry analyst, told the Global Times that the rise in shipments and market shares of domestic brands reflects a systemic strengthening of their competitiveness, particularly through their forward-looking strategic positioning in artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices, which are reshaping the high-end segment of the market. AI is emerging as a decisive variable in the smart device industry chain, an area where Chinese brands have built strong capabilities, Liu said. “As the iteration of AI technologies continues, they are likely to trigger a new round of device replacement cycles, driving product upgrades and further optimizing the consumption structure,” he added.
Foreign brands operating in China have also benefited from robust demand. Thanks to the strong sales momentum of the iPhone 17 series since its launch in September, Apple has maintained solid growth in the Chinese market. Data from Counterpoint Research showed that the new model drove overall iPhone sales up 22% year-on-year, becoming a key engine of Apple's recovery in China.
According to the Business Confidence Index, more than 4 million iPhones were sold during the Spring Festival holidays from February 15 to 23, up 110% year-on-year. Liu said that China's multi-brand ecosystem creates room for different products to grow and offers foreign companies ample opportunities to expand, reflecting a competitive and open environment. Since the implementation of the consumer goods trade-in program, purchases of new mobile phones and other digital products exceeded 91 million units in 2025. Boosted by the policy, the scale of China's mobile phone sector surpassed CNY1 trillion in 2025, a record high, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Chinese smartphone brands have also delivered solid performances overseas. According to Omdia's 2025 European smartphone shipment report, Xiaomi maintained its third-place position with a 16% market share. Toward the end of 2025, Xiaomi's overseas expansion under its new retail strategy extended further into Europe. Honor entered Europe's top five for the first time, with shipments rising 4% year-on-year to 3.8 million units. The brand has stepped up efforts to enhance its presence, influence and relevance among key channel partners, laying the groundwork for further expansion into the premium segment, the Global Times reports.
