Smartphone shipments in the Chinese market reached slightly less than 79 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, representing a 14.9% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 0.6% growth year-over-year. Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2025, it is estimated that shipment volumes will experience a single-digit decline, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering the Chinese smartphone market.
Shifting market positions
The top five smartphone brands in China for the fourth quarter of 2024 were Apple, Huawei, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Oppo, in that order. Compared to the previous quarter, Apple and Huawei rose by five and two positions, respectively, while Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo fell by one, two, and three positions. The combined market share of the top five brands was 83.1%, down from 85% in the third quarter of 2024.
Click here to visit the 4Q24 China smartphone market report for more data and information.
Modest decline expected
Looking forward to the first quarter of 2025, with increased inventory levels from the previous quarter, it is anticipated that smartphone shipments in the Chinese market will see an 8.9% decrease quarter-over-quarter. However, due to new subsidy measures announced by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in January 2025 aimed at encouraging consumers to upgrade their smartphones, there is an expected 2.2% growth year-over-year in shipments, the report's figures show.
Annual performance
Smartphone shipments in the Chinese market totaled around 289 million units in 2024, reflecting an 8.4% growth and representing a downward adjustment of approximately 1.2 million units compared to previous estimates made in November.
The shipment volume is estimated to account for 24.2% of the global market share, only slightly higher than the figures recorded in 2023 and 2022, which were both below 24%, during the past six years.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
