According to the latest research from Omdia, the full-year shipment volume for the Chinese mainland smartphone market in 2025 was 282.3 million units, reflecting a slight decline of 1%. Huawei reclaimed the top position with shipments of 46.8 million units, capturing a 17% market share. Vivo followed closely in second place with shipments of 46 million units, accounting for a 16% market share. Apple, bolstered by an outstanding performance in the fourth quarter, achieved full-year shipments of 45.9 million units, securing a spot in the market's top three. Xiaomi shipped 43.7 million units, while OPPO shipped 42.8 million units, ranking fourth and fifth respectively.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, benefiting from year-end promotions and the continuation of national subsidies, the overall market decline narrowed. Smartphone shipments in the Chinese mainland market for Q4 2025 decreased by 1% year-over-year to 76.4 million units. Apple led the quarter with shipments of 16.5 million units, capturing a 22% market share. Vivo ranked second with shipments of 11.95 million units and a 16% market share. OPPO's market performance showed a year-on-year recovery, with shipments of 11.6 million units; its ranking rose by two places compared to the same period last year, entering the top three. Huawei shipped 11.1 million units, ranking fourth, while Xiaomi followed with shipments of 10 million units.
Hayden Hou, Chief Analyst at Omdia, stated, "Apple's shipment growth is impressive. The company is driving overall shipments and optimizing its product mix through a strategy focused on product differentiation upgrades. Besides the newly designed iPhone 17 Pro series being well-received by consumers, the base model iPhone 17, with comprehensive upgrades to storage and screen specifications while maintaining the starting price of its predecessor, has contributed more to the product mix than any previous base model. Chinese brands have steadily continued their high-end development strategies. Huawei has increased its investment in and comprehensively upgraded its HarmonyOS, launching HarmonyOS 6 in October and announcing a 1 billion RMB investment to support innovation in the Harmony and AI ecosystems. Xiaomi moved up the release date of its flagship Xiaomi 17 Ultra to December, launching it before competitors introduced their new products."
Lucas Zhong, an analyst at Omdia, commented, "As we anticipated at the beginning of 2025, the impact of the national subsidy policy on the market primarily involved pulling demand forward rather than creating organic growth. The discontinuity of the subsidies in the second and third quarters led to a period of adjustment in the market. However, through the experience gained in 2025, all manufacturers, including Apple, have completed their layouts by restructuring product portfolios and adjusting pricing strategies. Channel partners have accumulated experience through the year's operations, establishing mature and efficient execution processes. Coupled with the continuation of subsidies through the year-end and into next year, this lays a stable and positive foundation for market development in 2026."
Hayden Hou, Chief Analyst at Omdia, added, "In 2026, rising costs will become a significant challenge for smartphone manufacturers in both the Chinese and global markets. Continuously increasing memory prices are making component supply, product configuration, and pricing highly dynamic—manufacturers must find a balance between cost allocation, price competitiveness, and the direction of hardware upgrades. Despite recent cost pressures, manufacturers are maintaining robust investments in long-term value areas such as channel upgrades (e.g., flagship store expansion and renovation), AI and cross-device ecosystem experience development, and imaging innovation. We anticipate that 2026 will still be a year for achieving value growth and product innovation in the Chinese market."
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