Four years after his fall, Huawei made a resounding return at the top of the Chinese market.
Six years after the presidential decree signed by Donald Trump on May 15, 2019, Huawei made a spectacular return to the top of the Chinese smartphones market. In the second quarter of 2025, the manufacturer of Shenzhen won 18.1% of market share with 12.5 million units sold, according to the latest IDC figures published on August 18.
After four years in the shadows, Huawei has just found first place in the Chinese smartphones market. A return to the top which owes nothing to chance: in the second quarter of 2025, the manufacturer of Shenzhen won 18.1 % of market share with 12.5 million units soldaccording to the latest IDC figures published on August 18.
This performance relegates Vivo to second place (11.9 million units) and confirms a substantive trend: Chinese brands now dominate their domestic market. Only Apple still resists the top 5, but with results at half mast.
Government subsidies change the situation
The Chinese government has released heavy artillery to boost sales. Since January 2025, Beijing has released 300 billion yuan (37 billion euros) to subsidize the purchase of consumer electronics.
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Concretely, consumers benefit from 15 % reduction in smartphones sold less than 6,000 yuan, or up to 500 yuan economy per purchase. That’s around 60 euros.
The initiative is inspired by the success of car grants of 2024, which had energized sales of electric vehicles. This time, the whole Chinese tech ecosystem is taking advantage of it: smartphones, tablets, connected watches.
Xiaomi is doing well
In this new landscape, Xiaomi stands out as the big winner. The only manufacturer of the top 5 to display positive growth (+3.4%), the Lei Jun brand capitalizes on its historical positioning: high -cost prices at tight prices. With 10.4 million units sold, Xiaomi climbs in fourth place and confirms its paid strategy.
This performance contrasts with the results of other players: Vivo (-10.1 %), Oppo (-5 %) and even Huawei (-3.4 %) are all back over a year. Only Xiaomi takes advantage of the new rules of the game, proving the effectiveness of its approach centered on the value for money.
A trompe-l’oeil success: Huawei remains blocked outside China
This return to the top in China should not hide reality: Huawei represents only 3 % of the world market, far from the 18 % detained in 2019 before American sanctions. The Shenzhen group remains deprived of Android and Google services, which makes it lose much of its attractiveness in international markets.
Moreover, the Chinese resurrection is also largely based on Harmonyos, the house operating system that the brand had to develop after being deprived of Android. A solution that works in China but struggles to convince elsewhere, for lack of an application ecosystem sufficient to compete with Google Play.
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