China’s Smartphone Market Rebounds with 5.6% Growth in 2024, Fueled by vivo and Huawei
January 30, 2025 | IDCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, China's smartphone market shipped 76.4 million units in 4Q24, a 3.9% year-on-year (YoY) increase. This growth was driven by new product launches and government subsidies initiated in some provinces and cities. For the full year 2024, the Chinese market shipped 286.2 million units, a 5.6% YoY growth, marking a recovery after two years of decline thanks to pent-up demand and innovations like GenAI.
“The recovery is a boon to the smartphone industry, but not all OEMs have benefited from the growth as consumers are becoming more selective,” said Will Wong, senior research manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific. “This implies a value-seeking trend that is prevalent not only in China but also globally. Market players need to adapt to this shift in consumer behavior if they want to continue to capitalize on the recovery.”
- vivo led the Chinese market in 2024, driven by its user-centric approach across all price segments as well as the focus on both hardware and software development.
- Huawei made a strong comeback, securing second place for the full year 2024 with over 50% shipment growth, supported by improvement in the supply chain capability.
- Apple achieved the number 1 spot for the quarter, however it saw its market share and shipments shrink in 2024 due to increased competition in the market and uncertainty around launch of Apple Intelligence in China.
- Honor remained a top five OEM amid the intense competition. The vendor focused on product differentiation and innovation while achieving overseas growth.
- OPPO rebounded with shipment growth in 4Q24, driven by increased investment in mid- to high-end products and the success of its Find X8 series.
“The market recovery is expected to be supported by government subsidies in 2025,” said Arthur Guo, senior research analyst in Client System Research for IDC China. “This presents an opportunity for market players to adapt their strategies by leveraging these government’s initiatives.”
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/18/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIt’s been a busy week in our industry. Never a dull moment! If you’ve been paying attention to our tariff tumult with China and its effect on the stock market, especially if your company does a lot of business with China, you might be tempted to call in a Xanax refill about now. But hang tight. This is still early in the first quarter. This brouhaha serves to underscore our need to manufacture critical laminates and components in the U.S. In this week’s must-reads, we have a potpourri of articles covering tariffs, the next generation of HDI, the three-year anniversary of IPC Mexico, a novel green technology, and emerging design trends.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Aster–Enhancing Design for Effective Testing Strategies
04/18/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOWill Webb, technical director at Aster, stresses the importance of testability in design, emphasizing early engagement to identify testing issues. This discussion covers the integration of testing with Industry 4.0, the need for good test coverage, and adherence to industry standards. Innovations like boundary scan testing and new tools for cluster testing are introduced, highlighting advancements in optimizing testing workflows and collaboration with other tools.
IPC President’s Award: Xaver Feiner
04/17/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineThroughout his career, Xaver Feiner, vice president of marketing and sales at Zollner Elektronik, has developed extensive expertise in account management and new business development with a strong focus on the semiconductor industry, aerospace, and industrial electronics. Xaver has cultivated a profound understanding of global markets and remains deeply engaged with the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation. Since 2020, he has been an active member of the IPC Europe Advocacy Group, where he is dedicated to advancing the position of the electronics industry and the EMS sector across Europe.
New High Power 3D AXI for Power Electronics from Test Research, Inc.
04/17/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), a leading provider of Test and Inspection solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly announces the launch of the 3D AXI TR7600HP system. Designed for power semiconductor inspection, the TR7600HP enhances accuracy and efficiency in detecting defects in components such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC inverters, and Paladin Connectors.
IPC APEX EXPO 2025 Learning Lounge: Education on the Show Floor
04/16/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007The conference portion of IPC APEX EXPO has been providing educational opportunities for attendees since the first show. But recently, show managers decided to expand education onto the show floor.