Huawei maintained double-digit growth in Q1 2025 Chinese smartphone market

Huawei continued to achieve a double-digit growth in the Q1 2025 Chinese smartphone market. A new analysis report sheds light on China’s phone segment, revealing the top five vendors with sales results for the first quarter of this year.

Canalys has released its report on the Chinese smartphone market for Q1 2025. The new data highlights Xiaomi and Huawei as the leading brands at present.

Starting with Huawei, the company maintained its double-digit growth in the Q1 2025 Chinese smartphone market. It has shipped 13 million units in the first quarter of this year, thanks to the Chinese national subsidy scheme.

The Chinese tech giant has obtained 18% of the total market share. Its sales growth has increased by 12% year-on-year, helping it to achieve the second position.

The report adds that Huawei remained stable throughout the quarter due to Mate XT and Pura X, which have further pushed the boundaries of foldable form factors.

Besides, the company gained attention in the mid-range phone market as it expanded the HarmonyOS NEXT rollout to the Nova 12 and 13 lineup. As per Canalys analyst:

“HarmonyOS NEXT is expected to account for 3% of Mainland China’s smartphone install base by 2025, with rapid growth anticipated.”

Q1 2025 Chinese smartphone market report (Image Credits: Canalys)

Ranking

Xiaomi has secured the first seat on the list with 13.3 million shipments and 19% of the market share. It has the highest growth rate among its rivals – 40% YoY.

OPPO falls in third place. It sold 10.6 million smartphones in Q1 2025 and occupied 15% of the market share, though it declined by 3%. Vivo is in the fourth spot with 10.4 million shipments and 15% market share, gaining 2% year-on-year.

Apple continued to see a drop in its annual growth and fell by 8% this time. The iPhone maker delivered 9.2 million devices and achieved 13% of the market share.

Overall, the Chinese smartphone market has shipped around 70.9 million units in the first quarter of 2025, receiving a hike of 5% YoY growth. Lucas Zhong – Analyst at Canalys said:

“2025 will be a year of navigating turbulence while seeking breakthroughs. Despite rising uncertainty in global trade, Mainland China’s macroeconomic resilience will be underpinned by continued policy support and targeted consumer stimulus.”

Q1 2025 Chinese smartphone market ranking (Image Credits: Canalys)

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