Our answer
Huawei 华为
No.1 in 2025 and in the second quarter of 2026
The short answer
Huawei (华为) is China’s most popular phone brand. It shipped the most smartphones in 2025, narrowly ahead of Apple and vivo, and widened its lead to 22.6% of the market in the second quarter of 2026. Apple is second; OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi and Honor follow. Six brands sell about 96% of phones.
| Best-selling brand | Huawei 华为 |
|---|---|
| Biggest foreign brand | Apple (18.1%, Q2 2026) |
| Market in 2025 | 285 million phones shipped, down 0.6% |
| Top six share | About 96% (Q2 2026) |
| Samsung | 0.1% (Q2 2026) |
How we know
3 signals · SourcedFull year 2025
IDC put Huawei first in China in 2025 with 46.7 million phones (16.4%), just ahead of Apple (46.2 million) and vivo (46.1 million). [1]
STRONG2026 so far
In the second quarter of 2026 Huawei’s share rose to 22.6% and Apple’s to 18.1%, while the overall market fell 4.3%. [2]
STRONGForeign brands
Apple is the only foreign brand in the top six. Samsung had 0.1% of shipments in the second quarter of 2026. [2]
STRONGChina’s top phone brands, second quarter of 2026
Share of smartphones shipped in mainland China, measured by IDC.[2]
| Rank | Brand | Chinese | Share | A year earlier | Shipments vs a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huawei | 华为 | 22.6% | 18.1% | +19.4% |
| 2 | Apple | 苹果 | 18.1% | 13.9% | +24.4% |
| 3= | OPPO | OPPO | 16.0% | 17.3% | −9.7% |
| 3= | vivo | vivo | 16.0% | 17.0% | −11.4% |
| 5 | Xiaomi | 小米 | 12.4% | 15.1% | −21.7% |
| 6 | Honor | 荣耀 | 11.3% | 11.9% | −9.5% |
IDC treats share gaps of 0.1 point or less as a tie. Honor was part of Huawei until 2020.
The full-year picture, 2025
Smartphones shipped in mainland China in 2025, measured by IDC. The top five were separated by about three million phones.[1]
| Rank | Brand | Phones shipped | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huawei 华为 | 46.7 million | 16.4% |
| 2= | Apple 苹果 | 46.2 million | 16.2% |
| 2= | vivo | 46.1 million | 16.2% |
| 4 | Xiaomi 小米 | about 43.8 million | over 15% |
| 5 | OPPO | about 43.4 million | over 15% |
Total market: 285 million phones, down 0.6% on 2024.
Why Huawei and Apple are pulling ahead
China’s phone market has shrunk for five quarters in a row. Memory and chip prices started rising in March 2026, and most Android makers passed the cost on through higher prices or lower specifications, which put buyers off upgrading. Government subsidies for phones have also faded.
Huawei and Apple bucked the trend. IDC credits Huawei’s wider range of models, stable prices and targeted promotions, and Apple’s stable prices, heavy promotions and loyal buyers, some of whom bought early ahead of expected price rises. IDC expects the market to fall by around 20% year on year in the second half of 2026.[2]
Questions readers ask
What is the number one phone brand in China?
Huawei. It shipped the most smartphones in China in 2025 and had 22.6% of the market in the second quarter of 2026.
Is the iPhone popular in China?
Yes. Apple is China’s second biggest phone brand, with 18.1% of shipments in the second quarter of 2026, and the only foreign brand in the top six.
Is Samsung popular in China?
No. Samsung had 0.1% of smartphone shipments in China in the second quarter of 2026.
Are Honor and Huawei the same company?
Not any more. Honor started as a Huawei brand and became a separate company in 2020. It is China’s sixth biggest phone brand.
Are phone sales in China growing?
No. Shipments fell 0.6% in 2025 and 4.2% in the first half of 2026, and IDC expects a steeper fall in the second half.
Sources
- Jiemian, IDC: 2025 smartphone shipments, Huawei back to No.1 in China (14 January 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- TelecomLead, China smartphone market Q2 2026: Huawei and Apple gain share as shipments fall 4.3% (IDC) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Update log. 25 October 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 25 November 2026. Suggest a correction