China’s smartphone market achieved shipments of 73.9 million units during Q4 2023, the latest data from Canalys has revealed.
The year-on-year decline narrowed to just 1 percent in Mainland China’s smartphone market during the fourth quarter of 2023, indicating signs of recovery, the Canalys report said on Friday.
Apple has secured the top position in China’s smartphone market, shipping 17.5 million units, marking a 6 percent increase, driven by demand for the new iPhone 15 series.
HONOR claimed the second spot with a 16 percent market share in China, shipping 11.7 million units.
Vivo climbed to third place in China’s smartphone market with 11.3 million units.
Huawei, experiencing a 47 percent increase, broke into the top five, ranking fourth with 10.4 million units.
Xiaomi maintained fifth place in China’s smartphone market, shipping 9.5 million units, propelled by the success of the Xiaomi 14 series.
The report said Apple, the iPhone maker, has achieved a historic milestone by securing the top spot for annual shipments in the Chinese market for the first time, registering a marginal 1 percent increase. The annual market share for Apple expanded to 19 percent.
Rivalries were fierce among vivo, OPPO, and HONOR, each capturing a 16 percent market share with annual shipments of 44.5 million, 43.9 million, and 43.6 million units, respectively.
Xiaomi held onto the fifth position with a 13 percent market share. Huawei, ranking sixth, witnessed a significant jump in full-year market share from 8 percent in 2022 to 12 percent in 2023, showcasing a remarkable 48 percent YoY increase.
Huawei has returned to the top five league table of Mainland China’s smartphone market after 10 quarters. Lucas Zhong, Research Analyst at Canalys, attributed Huawei’s success to the Mate 60 Pro, featuring an in-house Kirin chip and innovative features like satellite calling.
Chinese Android manufacturers, including vivo and Xiaomi, introduced flagship models with on-device generative AI capabilities.
Amber Liu, Research Manager at Canalys, said phone vendors are projected to focus on developing in-house operating systems and investing in generative AI to secure their positions in the evolving landscape.
