China smartphone market saw a decline of 0.6 percent in shipments from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025, with total shipments falling from 68.8 million units to 68.4 million units, IDC report said.
In Q3 2025, Vivo led the China smartphone market with 11.8 million shipments and a 17.3 percent market share, though its shipments declined by 7.8 percent.
Apple was the only company in the top five to experience growth, seeing a 0.6 percent increase in shipments (10.8 million) and a 15.8 percent market share.
Huawei held the third spot with 10.4 million shipments and a 15.2 percent market share, a decline of 1.0 percent.
Xiaomi ranked fourth with 10.0 million shipments and a 14.7 percent market share, down 1.7 percent.
OPPO shipped 9.9 million units for a 14.5 percent market share and saw a 0.4 percent increase.
Honor shipped 9.8 million units for a 14.4 percent market share, representing a 2.1 percent decline.
Others category saw significant growth of 21.5 percent, shipping 5.6 million units and securing an 8.2 percent market share.
The third quarter is traditionally a slow season for smartphone sales, with fewer new product launches and restrained consumer spending following the tightening of government subsidy policies. However, IDC expects market conditions to improve in early Q4 2025 as several brands began early flagship launches from mid-to-late September, IDC report said.
Will Wong, Senior Research Manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific, said that cautious consumer sentiment led many buyers to seek greater value for money. This trend benefited Apple’s latest launch, as the base model of the iPhone 17 attracted price-conscious consumers and helped the company achieve slight growth and a higher ranking than the previous quarter. Wong noted that Honor also performed strongly, matching OPPO’s market share and reflecting intense competition among major vendors.
Arthur Guo, Senior Research Analyst in Client System Research for IDC China, observed that while the upcoming Singles’ Day online shopping festival is highly anticipated, it is unlikely to generate significant additional demand due to persistent economic uncertainty. He added that smartphone makers must move beyond aggressive pricing and promotions and focus on building differentiated, competitive products to attract consumers and sustain long-term growth.
Fasna Shabeer
