Xiaomi has reclaimed the top spot in China’s smartphone market for the first time in a decade, shipping 13.3 million smartphones and securing a 19% market share in Q1 2025, according to Canalys data.
The company’s resurgence is attributed to the synergy between its smartphone business and its broader ecosystem, including wearables, PCs, and electric vehicles. Xiaomi’s unified pricing strategy across online and offline channels also helped leverage government subsidies, encouraging bundled purchases and simplifying decision-making for buyers.
Huawei closely followed Xiaomi, shipping 13 million units and maintaining an 18% market share, driven by continued investment in foldable phones such as the Mate XT and Pura X, as well as a growing focus on HarmonyOS Next. The in-house operating system is expected to make up 3% of China’s smartphone install base by the end of 2025.
Oppo and Vivo secured third and fourth place, respectively, with 10.6 million and 10.4 million units shipped. Both held a 15% market share, although only Vivo saw a slight year-on-year increase in shipments, while Oppo’s sales declined by 3%.
Apple dropped to fifth place, shipping 9.2 million iPhones, an 8% year-over-year decline. The decrease follows a seasonal high in Q4 2024 and highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the brand in a market increasingly focused on domestic alternatives and price-sensitive strategies.
The overall Chinese smartphone market saw a modest recovery in Q1 2025, with shipments rising to 70.9 million units, a 5% increase from the same period last year. Canalys attributes the uptick to national subsidy policies and improving consumer sentiment, although analysts suggest much of the growth was pulled forward rather than generated organically.
