China's Smartphone Market in 2024: Vivo Takes the Lead, Huawei Makes a Strong Comeback, Apple's Share Declines

China's Smartphone Market in 2024: Vivo Takes the Lead, Huawei Makes a Strong Comeback, Apple's Share DeclinesChina's smartphone market showed strong signs of recovery in 2024, with total shipments reaching approximately 286 million units, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%

China's Smartphone Market in 2024: Vivo Takes the Lead, Huawei Makes a Strong Comeback, Apple's Share Declines

China's smartphone market showed strong signs of recovery in 2024, with total shipments reaching approximately 286 million units, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%. This growth was driven by a gradual global economic recovery, increased consumer purchasing power, and significant upgrades in core hardware, camera capabilities, and battery life by smartphone manufacturers, stimulating consumer demand for upgrades. However, the gap between manufacturers in terms of market share remained significant.

According to IDC's latest quarterly tracking report, Vivo, Huawei, and Apple were the top three players in China's smartphone market in 2024, but their market performance and growth trends differed significantly.

Vivo, with its comprehensive product strategy and strong market competitiveness, successfully secured the top spot in 2024, achieving a 17.2% market share a 10.3% year-on-year increase. This success was closely related to Vivo's strong performance in the first half of 2024. From flagship models like the Vivo X100S and X200 series, to mid-range Vivo S series, and its iQOO digital, Neo, and Z series and their variants, Vivo covered almost all price segments. The OriginOS system further enhanced user experience. Furthermore, Vivo's robust supply chain management, diverse product line, and accurate grasp of consumer needs laid a solid foundation for its market leadership.

Following Vivo was Huawei, with a 16.6% market share and a remarkable 50.1% year-on-year growth, demonstrating a strong comeback. After facing external pressures, Huawei increased its investment in independent research and development, achieving partial control over its supply chain and making significant progress in foldable phones and 5G communication technology. The application of Kirin processors, the HarmonyOS operating system, XMAGE imaging technology, and retractable lenses gave Huawei's new phones strong appeal. With the continued launch of new Huawei phones and technological breakthroughs, its future market share is expected to further increase, potentially surpassing Vivo to become the market leader.

In contrast, Apple, although holding the third position with a 15.6% market share, experienced a 5.4% year-on-year decline, indicating pressure on its market share. Honor and OPPO also underperformed, with Honor's market share at 14.9% (down 8.1% year-on-year) and OPPO's at 14.8% (down 6.4% year-on-year). This demonstrates the intense competition in China's smartphone market in 2024, with rankings and market shares potentially shifting rapidly.

Data from the fourth quarter of 2024 further confirmed the dynamic market changes. Smartphone shipments reached approximately 76.43 million units, a 3.9% year-on-year increase. In terms of market share, Apple remained in first place but saw its share drop to 17.4%, a 9.6% year-on-year decline. Vivo and Huawei continued their strong growth in Q4, with market shares of 17.2% and 16.2%, respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 14.0% and 22.8%. Notably, Xiaomi and OPPO also rebounded strongly in Q4, with Xiaomi achieving a 16.0% market share (a 28.4% year-on-year increase) and OPPO holding 13.7% (a 4.1% year-on-year increase) in fifth place.

In the highly anticipated foldable phone market, Huawei maintained its leading position, capturing nearly 50% of the market share with its Mate X series. Honor came in second with a 20.6% market share, followed by Vivo with its XFold3 series at 11.1%. Xiaomi secured fourth place (7.4% market share) with success of its first vertically folding phone, while OPPO, despite not releasing a new model for a year, still held 5.3% market share. The foldable phone market is predicted to become even more competitive in 2025, with significant potential shifts in rankings and market share as manufacturers adjust their product strategies and market positioning.

In conclusion, China's smartphone market in 2024 presented a picture of simultaneous recovery and intense competition. Vivo secured the top spot with its comprehensive product line and precise market strategy; Huawei achieved a strong rebound thanks to its robust technological capabilities and control over its supply chain; while Apple, Honor, and OPPO faced greater market pressure. 2025 promises even fiercer competition, presenting both new challenges and opportunities. Strategic positioning, product innovation, and adapting to evolving consumer needs will determine each manufacturer's future competitiveness. The landscape of China's smartphone market in 2025 remains to be seen. The recovery of the Chinese smartphone market in 2024 offered new development opportunities for major manufacturers, while also foreshadowing even more intense competition in 2025. The success of Vivo, the strong comeback of Huawei, and the challenges faced by Apple, Honor, and OPPO all provide valuable case studies for the industry. The increasingly fierce competition in the foldable phone market is becoming a key battleground for manufacturers vying for market share. In the future, technological innovation, supply chain stability, and a precise understanding of consumer needs will be crucial in determining the competitiveness of each manufacturer. The unfolding scenario of China's smartphone market in 2025 is eagerly awaited.