Huawei Boosts Market Share as China’s Q3 Smartphone Sales Dip

Highlights

• China’s Q3 Smartphone Sales Drop by 5% YoY.
• Top Five Brands Witness Decline or Stagnation in Sales.
• Honor Leads with 11.8 Million Shipments, Securing 18% Market Share.
• Apple Benefits from iPhone 15 Launch in China.
• Huawei Emerges as Sixth Largest Brand, Gains Market Share.
• Huawei’s Mate 60 Series Sees Strong Demand.
• Apple’s iPhone 15 Faces Sales Challenges Compared to iPhone 14.
• Huawei’s Technological Milestone with Mate 60 Pro Launch.
• Potential Disruption Anticipated with Huawei’s New Kirin Chips.

In the third quarter of this year, smartphone sales in China experienced a 5% decline compared to the same period in the previous year. This decline is attributed to a sluggish economy and budget-conscious consumers delaying their phone upgrades, according to research firm Canalys.

The quarter saw a total of 66.7 million smartphone shipments, reflecting a year-on-year drop. Among the top five smartphone brands in China, all experienced either declining or stagnant sales compared to the previous year. Vivo witnessed the most significant drop at 26%, followed by Oppo with a 10% decrease, Apple with a 6% decline, Honor with a 1% dip, and Xiaomi, which maintained a flat performance year-over-year.

Honor, previously a part of Huawei before its sale in 2020, secured the top spot in China with shipments totaling 11.8 million units and capturing an 18% market share. Oppo and Apple tied for second place, each with a 16% market share.

Canalys noted that Apple’s continued strong performance was partly attributed to the launch of its iPhone 15 series in China on September 22

During this quarter, Huawei emerged as the sixth largest smartphone brand in China. Although Canalys did not provide specific market share figures for Huawei, it highlighted that the company’s share had surged to levels comparable with leading manufacturers in China, thanks to the high demand for its new Mate 60 products.

Huawei‘s surprise launch of its premium Mate 60 Pro phone in late August, featuring a domestically produced chip, marked a significant milestone for the company amidst years of U.S. technology sanctions.

Canalys analyst Lucas Zhong remarked, “If Huawei’s new Kirin chips are extended to mid-range and low-end product lines in the future, it will have the potential to further disrupt the competition among top brands in the market.”

According to Counterpoint Research, within the initial six weeks of its launch, Huawei sold an estimated 1.6 million units of its Mate 60 series handsets. Analyst Ivan Lam noted that the Mate 60 series has seen strong demand since its release.

In contrast, sales of Apple’s iPhone 15 faced challenges, underperforming early sales of the iPhone 14, as reported by Counterpoint.

This market dynamic underscores the evolving landscape of smartphone sales in China, with Huawei making notable strides in maintaining a competitive edge despite challenging circumstances.