Huawei reclaims top spot over Apple in China smartphone market after chip breakthrough

Huawei Technologies edged out Apple to reclaim the No 1 spot in mainland China’s smartphone market in 2025, a new report showed, as the domestic handset maker overcame crippling US sanctions.

For the full year, Huawei captured 16.4 per cent of China’s smartphone market with 46.7 million units shipped, narrowly beating Apple, which shipped 46.2 million iPhones for a 16.2 per cent share, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said on Wednesday.

Huawei’s smartphone shipments fell 1.9 per cent compared with the previous year, while Apple enjoyed a 4 per cent growth, IDC said. It was the first time Huawei had secured a full-year lead on the mainland’s smartphone market since 2020, after the US tightened sanctions on the company and cut off its access to advanced chips.

The Shenzhen-based company turned to self-designed, China-made processors to power its smartphones, including the latest Kirin 9030 in its premium flagship model Mate 80 Pro Max.

“The continuous improvement in Huawei’s in-house chip production was a key driver in 2025, providing the necessary support for its shipment momentum,” said Will Wong, senior research manager for client devices at IDC in Asia-Pacific.

Wong said the competitive landscape had changed in China, as some domestic players stepped up their overseas push by shifting focus to markets such as India and Africa to avoid direct rivalry with a resurgent Huawei at home.