Huawei has reclaimed the top spot in China's smartphone market as Xiaomi slipped to fourth, underscoring mounting pressure in the world's largest mobile arena.
Photo from Jiemian News
by SONG Jianan
China's smartphone shipments fell 4.1 per cent year on year to 68.86 million units in the second quarter, snapping six straight quarters of growth, according to market research firm IDC.
Huawei shipped 12.5 million units, down 3.4 per cent from a year earlier, but still enough to overtake rivals and return to No 1. The company's strong brand equity, technological innovation and HarmonyOS system updates gave it an edge, especially in the high-end segment with its Mate series.
Vivo ranked second with 11.9 million units, a 10.1 per cent drop, while Oppo came third at 10.7 million, down 5 per cent. Xiaomi fell from first to fourth, shipping 10.4 million units. Despite being the only major brand to post growth—up 3.4 per cent year on year—its sales slipped from the first quarter's 13.3 million as channel partners cut back orders amid inventory pressure.
Apple placed fifth with 9.6 million units, a 1.3 per cent decline, the mildest among the top five. While its loyal iOS ecosystem helps retain users, Apple faces stiffer competition from Chinese brands.
Globally, shipments rose 1.4 per cent to 297 million units in the quarter. Samsung led the market, followed by Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo and Transsion.
In the US, shipments climbed 3.7 per cent to 25.66 million units, bolstered by early stockpiling to counter tariffs. Apple maintained a commanding 47.6 per cent share, with shipments jumping 14.8 per cent after it boosted inventory earlier this year. Samsung also grew 14.3 per cent, aided by AI features in new mid-range models. Lenovo's Motorola brand rose 2.4 per cent, keeping third place, ahead of Google and TCL.
IDC said both China and the US face uncertainty from tariffs and softening demand. While American vendors benefited from stockpiling and AI-powered devices, the Chinese market relied on government subsidies and sales campaigns that mostly cleared inventory rather than expanding demand. Consumer sentiment remains weak, and IDC warned that China's smartphone market will face greater pressure in the second half.
