2024 China Mobile Phone Market Annual Report: Domestic Brands Surge, 5G Penetration Continues to Climb

2024 China Mobile Phone Market Annual Report: Domestic Brands Surge, 5G Penetration Continues to ClimbThe China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) recently released its analysis report on the domestic mobile phone market from January to December 2024, comprehensively showcasing the year's development trends. The report indicates that the 2024 Chinese mobile phone market exhibited significant characteristics, including strong growth of domestic brands, continuously rising 5G penetration rates, and an overall market recovery

2024 China Mobile Phone Market Annual Report: Domestic Brands Surge, 5G Penetration Continues to Climb

The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) recently released its analysis report on the domestic mobile phone market from January to December 2024, comprehensively showcasing the year's development trends. The report indicates that the 2024 Chinese mobile phone market exhibited significant characteristics, including strong growth of domestic brands, continuously rising 5G penetration rates, and an overall market recovery.

I. Overall Market Performance: Volume and Price Increase, Steady Recovery

In 2024, the total shipments of mobile phones in the domestic market reached 314 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.7%, demonstrating positive signals of market recovery. 5G phone shipments reached 272 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.4%, accounting for 86.4% of total annual shipments. This indicates that 5G technology has become the mainstream in the Chinese mobile phone market, and consumer demand for 5G phones remains strong.

Notably, December 2024 saw significant growth in monthly mobile phone shipments, reaching 34.528 million units, a year-on-year increase of 22.1%. 5G phone shipments in December reached 30.433 million units, a year-on-year increase of 25.8%, accounting for a remarkable 88.1% of the total. This reflects strong momentum at the end of the year, laying a solid foundation for the year's overall growth.

II. Number of New Phone Launches: Increased 5G Model Proportion, Slight Overall Decline

Regarding the number of new phone models launched, a total of 421 new models were released in the domestic market in 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 4.5%. Although the overall number decreased slightly, the number of new 5G phone models reached 207, a year-on-year decrease of 3.3%, accounting for 49.2% of all new phone models launched during the yearsignificantly higher than in 2023. This shows that manufacturers are actively investing in the R&D and innovation of 5G phones, further consolidating 5G technology's position in the market.

However, December saw a year-on-year increase in new phone launches, contrasting with the overall annual trend. 28 new models were launched in December, a year-on-year increase of 7.7%, but the number of new 5G phone models was only 5, a year-on-year decrease of 54.5%, accounting for only 17.9%. This may be related to adjustments in manufacturers' market strategies, component supply chains, and other factors, requiring further in-depth analysis.

III. Performance of Domestic Brands: Dominating Position, Continued Growth

In 2024, the market share of domestic mobile phone brands continued to expand, demonstrating strong competitiveness. Annual shipments of domestic brand phones reached 269 million units, a year-on-year increase of 16.3%, accounting for 85.6% of the market share. In December, shipments of domestic brand phones reached 30.784 million units, a year-on-year increase of 25.4%, with a market share as high as 89.2%. This indicates that domestic brands have made significant progress in technological innovation, product quality, and brand influence, successfully winning consumer trust.

In terms of the number of new models launched, domestic brands launched 396 new models in 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 2.5%, accounting for 94.1% of the total number of new models launched throughout the year. In December, the number of new models from domestic brands was 27, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, accounting for 96.4% of the new models launched that month. This further confirms the dominant position of domestic brands in the domestic mobile phone market.

IV. Smartphone Market: Continued Growth, Maintaining High Penetration Rate

In 2024, the smartphone market maintained strong growth momentum. Annual smartphone shipments reached 294 million units, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%, accounting for 93.7% of total annual phone shipments. In December, smartphone shipments reached 32.408 million units, a year-on-year increase of 20.8%, accounting for 93.9% of total monthly shipments. This shows the absolute dominance of smartphones in the domestic mobile phone market, and the market penetration rate remains high.

However, the number of new smartphone models launched decreased. The annual number of new smartphone models was 284, a year-on-year decrease of 20.2%, accounting for 67.5% of the total number of new models launched throughout the year. In December, the number of new smartphone models was only 14, a year-on-year decrease of 26.3%, accounting for 50.0% of the new models launched that month. This may be related to market saturation, consumer replacement cycles, and other factors, requiring further observation.

V. Market Summary and Outlook

After experiencing fluctuations in previous years, the Chinese mobile phone market showed a steady recovery in 2024. Domestic mobile phone brands continued to grow, 5G technology penetration rates continued to rise, and the smartphone market maintained a high penetration rate. However, the decline in the number of new models launched is noteworthy, potentially indicating that market competition will become even more intense, requiring manufacturers to make greater efforts in technological innovation, product differentiation, and marketing.

The future development of the Chinese mobile phone market will face new challenges and opportunities. The mature application of 5G technology and the R&D of 6G technology will bring new impetus to the mobile phone industry. At the same time, consumer expectations for mobile phone performance, user experience, and price will continue to rise, requiring manufacturers to continuously improve their competitiveness to stand out in the fierce market competition. Market regulators also need to continuously monitor market development, maintain a fair competitive order, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the mobile phone industry. Further in-depth research into market segments, such as foldable phones and high-end flagship models, as well as changes in consumer demand, will help more accurately predict future market trends and provide guidance for manufacturers' decision-making. Ultimately, whether the Chinese mobile phone market can maintain its growth momentum will depend on multiple factors, including manufacturers' innovation capabilities, market strategies, and the macroeconomic environment.