2024 China Smartphone Market Report: vivo Takes the Crown, Huawei Makes a Strong Comeback, Xiaomi Unexpectedly Falls Out of the Top Five

2024 China Smartphone Market Report: vivo Takes the Crown, Huawei Makes a Strong Comeback, Xiaomi Unexpectedly Falls Out of the Top FiveOn January 16th, Canalys, a renowned market research firm, officially released its 2024 report on the Chinese smartphone market. The report shows that the total shipment volume of smartphones in China reached 285 million units in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 4%

2024 China Smartphone Market Report: vivo Takes the Crown, Huawei Makes a Strong Comeback, Xiaomi Unexpectedly Falls Out of the Top Five

On January 16th, Canalys, a renowned market research firm, officially released its 2024 report on the Chinese smartphone market. The report shows that the total shipment volume of smartphones in China reached 285 million units in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 4%. This marks the first year-on-year growth in the Chinese smartphone market after two consecutive years of decline, signifying a market recovery. However, the vendor rankings in this report were unexpected. Let's delve deeper into the report and analyze the competitive landscape of the Chinese smartphone market in 2024.

According to Canalys' data, the 2024 Chinese smartphone market shipment rankings are as follows:

1st Place: vivo

vivo secured a market share of 17% with 49.3 million units shipped, representing a year-on-year growth of 11%. vivo's outstanding performance undeniably led it to the top spot. Its strong performance in the domestic market in 2024 is evident, making it the undisputed leader. However, with Huawei's strong comeback, whether vivo can maintain its leading position in 2025 remains a question worth watching.

2nd Place: Huawei

Huawei took second place with 46 million units shipped, achieving a 16% market share and a remarkable year-on-year growth of 37%. Huawei's strong return is undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights of the 2024 Chinese smartphone market. Since the fourth quarter of last year, Huawei has already regained its top position in the domestic market, showcasing its strong brand power and market competitiveness. This 37% year-on-year growth clearly indicates Huawei's unstoppable comeback.

3rd Place: Apple

Apple secured third place with 42.9 million units shipped, holding a 15% market share but experiencing a year-on-year decline of 17%. Apple's market share is equal to OPPO and Honor's, but it saw the largest year-on-year decline, suggesting that the competitive pressure on Apple in the Chinese market is increasing.

4th Place: OPPO (including OnePlus)

OPPO (including OnePlus) ranked fourth with 42.7 million units shipped, holding a 15% market share and experiencing a year-on-year decline of 3%. It shares the same market share as Honor but has slightly higher shipment volume.

5th Place: Honor

Honor ranked fifth with 42.2 million units shipped, securing a 15% market share and a year-on-year decline of 3%. Similar to OPPO, Honor saw a 3% year-on-year decline, sharing the same market share as Apple and OPPO, indicating fierce competition among the three brands.

It's noteworthy that Apple, OPPO, and Honor all hold a 15% market share, with negligible differences in shipment volume, highlighting extremely intense competition. The 3% year-on-year decline for both OPPO and Honor suggests similarities in their market or product strategies and potentially similar market challenges.

Xiaomi's Unexpected Fall Out of the Top Five

The most surprising aspect is Xiaomi's absence from the top five. According to Canalys' report, Xiaomi's domestic market ranking in 2024 should be sixth. This undoubtedly shocked the industry and sparked speculation about Xiaomi's future development strategy.

Shipment Volume vs. Actual Sales

It's crucial to emphasize that the report's data is based on shipment volume, not actual sales to end-users. There is a difference between shipment volume and actual sales; they cannot be equated. Therefore, this report only reflects the manufacturers' shipment situation and does not fully represent the actual sales situation in the market.

Conclusion

The 2024 Chinese smartphone market shows signs of recovery, but the competitive landscape has also changed significantly. vivo secured the championship with its strong performance, Huawei made a strong comeback, Apple, OPPO, and Honor performed steadily amidst fierce competition, while Xiaomi unexpectedly fell out of the top five. While this report's data is based on shipment volume rather than actual sales, it still provides valuable insights into the competitive dynamics of the 2024 Chinese smartphone market. How manufacturers adapt to market changes and adjust their strategies will determine their success in future competition. Whether vivo can maintain its leading position, whether Huawei can further consolidate its market share, and how Apple, OPPO, and Honor will address challenges are all questions that deserve continued attention. Similarly, Xiaomi's unexpected decline warrants in-depth analysis to explore its causes and envision its future development direction. The competitive landscape of the Chinese smartphone market in 2025 will be even more captivating.