Huawei has reclaimed the top position in China’s smartphone market for the first time in more than four years, surpassing US tech company Apple and local rivals like Xiaomi, according to the US-based International Data Corporation.
The Shenzhen-based manufacturer secured 18.1 percent of the domestic market during the second quarter of this year, with shipments reaching 12.5 million units, as revealed in an IDC report released on Tuesday.
Huawei’s resurgence at home follows years of pressure from US export restrictions, bans from Western nations, and a corruption investigation in Belgium.
IDC data indicated that China’s smartphone market as a whole declined after experiencing six consecutive quarters of growth, with total shipments falling to 69 million units—representing a four percent drop year-on-year.
“Although the recent US-China trade pause may have eased tensions slightly, the general economic climate still poses difficulties, with consumer confidence remaining weak,” said Arthur Guo, a senior research analyst at IDC, in the report.
“This indicates that a major surge in smartphone demand is not expected soon, and the market will have to adapt to a more intricate environment in the latter half of the year.”
According to official data, China’s economy expanded by over five percent in the second quarter, despite the tariff-related turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump.
Huawei has been a key figure in the ongoing tensions between the world’s two largest economies, after US officials claimed its hardware could potentially be exploited by Beijing for surveillance—an accusation the company has repeatedly denied.
Sanctions imposed since 2019 have significantly restricted Huawei’s access to American technology, prompting the company to focus on developing its own hardware components.
Meanwhile, Apple has faced declining iPhone sales in China, and last year lost its title as the country’s leading smartphone brand to domestic competitors.
In IDC’s rankings, Apple placed fifth, holding 13.9 percent of the Chinese smartphone market and delivering 9.6 million units.
