2024 China Smartphone Market Annual Report: Huawei, Xiaomi, and vivo Vie for Market Dominance

2024 China Smartphone Market Annual Report: Huawei, Xiaomi, and vivo Vie for Market DominanceAs 2025 begins, major institutions are nearing the completion of their data compilation for the 2024 Chinese smartphone market. 2024, particularly the fourth quarter, witnessed exceptionally fierce competition, with major manufacturers launching their flagship models to seize market share during the crucial year-end period

2024 China Smartphone Market Annual Report: Huawei, Xiaomi, and vivo Vie for Market Dominance

As 2025 begins, major institutions are nearing the completion of their data compilation for the 2024 Chinese smartphone market. 2024, particularly the fourth quarter, witnessed exceptionally fierce competition, with major manufacturers launching their flagship models to seize market share during the crucial year-end period. Recently, authoritative market research firms released rankings of activation volumes and market share for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2024, providing a comprehensive overview of market dynamics and valuable insights for 2025.

Q4 2024: Huawei Takes the Lead, Xiaomi Close Behind, Apple Faces Challenges

First, let's examine the new smartphone activation rankings for Q4 2024 (W39-W52) in the Chinese market. Data shows that Huawei, Xiaomi, and Apple occupied the top three positions. Huawei secured first place with 13,087,800 activations and an 18.04% market share, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.1%. The Huawei Mate70 series, Huawei Nova13 series, and Huawei MateX6 contributed significantly to this success.

Xiaomi followed closely with 12,432,200 activations and a 17.14% market share, a 5.3% year-on-year growth. The launch of the Xiaomi 15 series and Redmi K80 series strongly supported its market performance.

Apple's activations reached 12,411,700 units in Q4, holding a 17.11% market share, but experiencing a significant 17.3% year-on-year decline. Despite the continued strong sales of the iPhone 16 series, Apple's market share was noticeably impacted by the rise of domestic Chinese brands.

vivo ranked fourth with 11,456,600 activations and a 15.79% market share, showing an 11.6% year-on-year growth. Honor secured fifth place with 9,622,800 activations and a 13.26% market share, but experienced a 13.4% year-on-year decline. The remaining manufacturers collectively achieved 13,541,200 activations, accounting for an 18.66% market share, a decrease of 11.41% year-on-year.

The Q4 data clearly illustrates the intense competition in the Chinese smartphone market, with some manufacturers falling behind while others rise to prominence. To thrive in this competitive landscape, manufacturers must continuously innovate and deliver disruptive products and experiences.

Full Year 2024: vivo Tops the Charts, Huawei and Xiaomi in Hot Pursuit

Now, let's analyze the full-year 2024 market share rankings. vivo secured the top spot with a 17.38% market share, surpassing its competitors through outstanding performance and innovation. Huawei and Xiaomi followed closely with 16.00% and 15.89% market shares respectively, maintaining a fiercely competitive battle.

Apple iPhone and OPPO showed relatively weaker performances. Apple fell out of the top three, holding a 15.10% market share, while OPPO secured fifth place with 13.70%. Honor achieved a 14.77% market share, ranking fourth for the year.

The full-year data highlights vivo's remarkable rise from second place to first, driven by its frequent new product launches covering the flagship and mid-to-low-end segments. Huawei's jump from sixth to second place is attributed to the success of its P series and Mate series, along with optimizations to its Kirin processor and HarmonyOS. Xiaomi's rise from fifth to third is noteworthy, while Apple and OPPO experienced noticeable setbacks.

The Rise of Domestic Manufacturers and Reshaping of the Market Landscape

Both Q4 and full-year data reveal that domestic manufacturers like vivo, Huawei, and Xiaomi have secured a dominant position in the Chinese smartphone market through strong performance and continuous innovation. This signifies a profound transformation in the market landscape, with domestic brands rising and progressively capturing global market share.

Huawei's strong comeback in 2024, driven by its robust R&D capabilities and innovative technologies, enabled it to regain market share and become a leading player. Xiaomi maintained its competitiveness and solidified its market position by consistently releasing competitive products. vivo's outstanding 2024 performance, securing the top market share, demonstrates its comprehensive strength in product development, marketing, and channel building.

Although Apple retains a strong brand influence and loyal customer base, its market share faced challenges due to intense competition from domestic brands. This necessitates a reassessment of Apple's China market strategy and corresponding adjustments.

The intense competition in the 2024 Chinese smartphone market, with narrowing gaps between manufacturers and a constantly shifting landscape, is positive for consumers, offering more choices, better products, and competitive pricing. For manufacturers, maintaining competitiveness remains a crucial challenge. The Chinese smartphone market will continue its rapid development, fueling even more intense competition, driving further industry innovation and delivering better products and services to consumers. The trajectory of the Chinese smartphone market in 2025 remains to be seen.