Like the global mobile industry as a whole, the world's largest smartphone market continues to expand at a relatively slow but decidedly steady pace. Unlike pretty much everywhere else, Samsung's presence in China is virtually insignificant, with Vivo once again beating everyone from Apple to Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor for yet another regional sales crown.
In total, the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that 68.8 million smartphones were shipped during this year's third quarter in China, representing a small but important bump of 3.2 percent over last year's Q3 tally. That's the nation's fourth consecutive quarterly progress, and despite Apple's spot on the podium, the market's growth continues to be largely driven by local players.
A lot of progress for some brands... and a little bit of stagnation for others
Vivo, for one, managed to improve its sales figures by a healthy 21.5 percent from Q3 2023, retaining a dominant position it narrowly obtained in Q2 2024. Interestingly, Huawei slipped from its silver medal placement during this year's April-June timeframe to the last spot on the podium now, nonetheless posting a massive surge of 42 percent in shipments compared to Q3 2023.
The Chinese market leader has a pretty healthy advantage over four very close rivals.
Meanwhile, Apple was actually nowhere to be found among China's top five smartphone vendors in Q2 2024, so its leap to second place in the Q3 2024 chart might feel like a pretty amazing achievement. On the not so bright side of things, the company's Chinese iPhone sales are down by 0.3 percent compared to Q3 2023, which makes it quite clear that the iPhone 16 series is roughly as successful as the iPhone 15 family but by no means more so.
For what it's worth, the impending Apple Intelligence launch and iPhone 16 promotions that are likely around the corner could help the Cupertino-based tech giant maintain its position in the Chinese top three.
What's also definitely worth highlighting about the IDC's latest report is the very small gap between Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor's regional sales numbers. Apple is only 0.3 percent ahead of Huawei in market share right now, while Xiaomi somehow managed to beat Honor 14.8 percent to 14.6 percent in Q3 2024 despite the latter brand holding a huge advantage of nearly 6 percent share a year before.
What's on the horizon for Apple and its rivals?
This is clearly an incredibly competitive market that will continue to yield some very evenly matched battles for the foreseeable future, and if Apple wants to keep up with its Chinese rivals, the iPhone 17 lineup and especially the iPhone SE 4 will need to bring something new and innovative to the table. Either that or an unbeatable value equation.
China's smartphone market has been growing for several quarters now and may continue to do so for several more.
Otherwise, it will certainly be difficult to fend off Huawei, which has essentially come back from the brink of death stronger and more ambitious than ever before with an impressive foldable portfolio that already includes (among others) the world's first tri-fold model.
Xiaomi and Honor's threats are not to be ignored either, with the former company looking to "push boundaries" in the high-end segment while maintaining its primary budget-friendly focus and the latter brand ruling the massive (albeit not-very-profitable) $100 to $200 price bracket.
Vivo and Honor, of course, hold a key local advantage over Apple and a global advantage over Samsung in their remarkably affordable foldable high-enders, which are growing more and more popular in China (as well as across many major European markets).
With all of that in mind, it's no wonder that world champion Samsung remains unable to boost its Chinese presence with obscenely priced devices like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Z Fold 6, and soon enough, the Z Fold Special Edition. That's why it makes zero sense for the company not to pursue a Galaxy Z Fold FE launch in the near future.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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