HONOR’s superb performance also boosted Android’s position in the Chinese smartphone market.
Despite China under severe trade restrictions, Chinese brands remain influential locally and globally. But among these, two stand out and one of them is even helping Android sustain its presence in China.
According to Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Trackers by IDC, the China smartphone shipment grew by 6.5% year-over-year to 69.3 million units in the first quarter of 2024. It’s still low but the growth is steady, indicating the momentum of the market recovery.
Tied at the top spot are HUAWEI and HONOR, with the latter raising Android’s YoY growth by 9.3% in the Android segment. Meanwhile, Apple’s YoY dropped by 6% due to fierce competition in the region.
Some of the factors associated with the momentum include the Lunar New Year and demand for low- and mid-range devices. AI and foldable devices bolstered the high-end segment, which helped Android retain its identity versus iOS.
The top five company shipments are as follows:
| Brand | Q1 2024 Market Share | Q1 2023 Market Share | Year-over-Year Growth |
| HONOR | 17.1% | 16.1% | 13.2% |
| HUAWEI | 17% | 8.6% | 110% |
| OPPO | 15.7% | 19.8% | -15.5% |
| Apple | 15.6% | 17.8% | -6.6% |
| vivo | 14.6% | 17.4% | -10.7% |
| Others | 20.1% | 20.4% | 4.8% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 6.5% |
“The close race among the top-tier players implies that Chinese consumers are more likely to change from one brand to another. Thus, there’s an increased need for action from the vendors to keep innovating to ensure strong customer stickiness.”
Will Wong, senior research manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific
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