Huawei has reclaimed the top spot in China’s smartphone market for the first time in over four years, surpassing American tech giant Apple and domestic competitors like Xiaomi. According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the Shenzhen-based company captured 18.1% of the Chinese market in Q2 2025, shipping 12.5 million smartphones.
This comeback follows years of challenges for Huawei, including U.S. export restrictions, bans in Western countries, and a corruption investigation in Belgium. Despite a temporary easing in U.S.-China trade tensions, overall smartphone sales in China dipped, with total shipments falling 4% year-on-year to 69 million units.
IDC analyst Arthur Guo noted that China’s economic conditions remain uncertain, with low consumer confidence likely to prevent any sharp rise in smartphone demand in the near future.
Despite China’s economy growing over 5% in the second quarter, Huawei’s rise comes amid continued geopolitical tensions. Since 2019, U.S. sanctions have limited the company’s access to American technology, pushing it to develop in-house solutions.
Meanwhile, Apple has seen a decline in its performance in China, dropping to fifth place in the rankings. The California-based company now holds 13.9% of the market, having shipped 9.6 million units in the same period.
