Huawei trumps Apple in China as iPhone sales decline 18.2%

Huawei trumps Apple in China as iPhone sales decline 18.2%
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Huawei has been the top smartphone brand with a strong 18.1% market share in Q4 2024 in China, ahead of Xiaomi with 17.2% and Apple at 17.1%, noted the Counterpoint’s Market Pulse Service. It is also important to note that Apple’s sales declined 18.2% year-over-year (YoY) in the Chinese market.

“In Q4 2024, Huawei climbed to the top spot with an 18.1% share. This is the first time since the US ban that Huawei regained the leading position. Huawei’s sales increased 15.5% YoY driven by the launch of the mid-end Nova 13 series and high-end Mate 70 series,” said Senior Research Analyst Mengmeng Zhang.

Overall, China’s smartphone sales declined 3.2% YoY in Q4 2024, marking the only quarter in 2024 to see a YoY decline.

Xiaomi secured the second spot in Q4 2024 with a 17.2% market share, driven by strong growth from Q3 into Q4. This growth was fueled by the popularity of its flagship Mi 15 series, launched in October, the research firm said.

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“Xiaomi made significant progress in premiumisation this year. Besides, the success of Xiaomi’s electric vehicle (EV) venture has further enhanced its brand image and contributed to a boost in its smartphone sales.”

In 2024 overall, China’s smartphone sales increased 1.5% YoY, compared to a 1.4% YoY decline in 2023. Vivo ranked first with a market share of 17.8%, followed by Huawei (16.3%) and Xiaomi (15.7%).

Associate Director Ethan Qi said, “The country’s smartphone market saw a rebound in the first three quarters of the year, with positive YoY growth each quarter. However, momentum began to slow in Q4 as consumers adopted cautious spending behavior.”