China's Smartphone Market Rebounds in 2024: vivo Leads, Huawei Shows Strong Growth

China's Smartphone Market Rebounds in 2024: vivo Leads, Huawei Shows Strong GrowthAfter two years of decline, China's mainland smartphone market saw a resurgence in 2024, with annual shipments reaching 285 million units, a modest 4% year-on-year increase. This data, recently released in a report by the authoritative market analysis firm Canalys, signals the market's recovery from a downturn and demonstrates strong rebound momentum

China's Smartphone Market Rebounds in 2024: vivo Leads, Huawei Shows Strong Growth

After two years of decline, China's mainland smartphone market saw a resurgence in 2024, with annual shipments reaching 285 million units, a modest 4% year-on-year increase. This data, recently released in a report by the authoritative market analysis firm Canalys, signals the market's recovery from a downturn and demonstrates strong rebound momentum. The report reveals a mixed bag for manufacturers, highlighting both winners and losers in the intense competition.

vivo secured the top spot in 2024 with a 17% market share and 49.3 million units shipped. This indicates significant success in product strategy, marketing, and channel development, solidifying its market leadership. Its achievements provide valuable lessons for other manufacturers.

Close behind was Huawei, shipping 46 million units and holding a substantial market share. More noteworthy is Huawei's impressive 37% year-on-year growth, particularly striking against the backdrop of the overall market's moderate growth. This showcases the brand's resilience and competitiveness. Huawei's strong comeback has undeniably injected new vitality and competitive pressure into the market.

Apple, OPPO, and Honor ranked third, fourth, and fifth respectively, each holding a 15% market share, underscoring the fierce competition. This "three-legged race" suggests a more uncertain future market landscape and even more intense competition. To maintain their market share and enhance competitiveness, Apple, OPPO, and Honor must continue investing in product innovation, marketing, and user experience to find new breakthroughs.

Notably, the fourth quarter of 2024 witnessed even more significant growth in China's smartphone market, with a 5% increase and 77.4 million units shipped. This indicates a strengthening recovery trend towards the year's end, laying a solid foundation for 2025. However, Q4 competition remained fierce. Apple topped the charts with 13.1 million units shipped, but experienced a 25% year-on-year decline, reflecting intensifying competition in the high-end segment and challenges faced by Apple itself. vivo and Huawei followed closely with 17% market share each, securing second and third place respectively, demonstrating strong competitive strength.

Xiaomi ranked fourth in Q4 with 12.2 million units shipped, achieving the highest year-on-year growth rate among leading manufacturers at 29%. This rapid growth is attributed to its strong performance in the mid-to-low end market and successful cost-effective strategy. OPPO, with 10.6 million units shipped, ranked fifth, showcasing good growth momentum with an 18% year-on-year increase. The outstanding performance of Xiaomi and OPPO confirms the diversified development trend of China's smartphone market, with significant potential across various price segments.

In conclusion, China's smartphone market rebounded strongly in 2024 after a period of downturn, exhibiting a coexistence of growth and competition. vivo led the market with its stable performance, while Huawei demonstrated strong competitiveness with its robust growth. Apple, OPPO, Honor, and Xiaomi, among others, are actively participating in the market competition, collectively driving the healthy development of China's smartphone market. The future will likely see continued intense competition, requiring manufacturers to constantly innovate and enhance their competitiveness to thrive. This necessitates not only continuous investment in product performance and technological innovation but also in-depth exploration and optimization of brand building, user experience, and market strategies. The prospects for China's smartphone market are promising, yet the future market landscape remains full of variables and challenges.