Huawei regains the top spot of data in China’s phone market:

According to US-based International Data Corporation, hightel giant Huawei has been the first to top the Chinese smartphone market for the first time in four years, taking on local competitors, including US tech giants Apple and Xiaomi.

The deep Shenzhen device maker took over 18.1% of the local phone market in the second quarter of this year and shipped 12.5 million units, an IDC report released on Tuesday showed.

Huawei’s domestic rebound comes after the company faced US export controls in Belgium, a Western ban and graft probe crushing.

China’s overall smartphone market has shrunk after six-sixth growth, with cargo totaling 69 million units, down 4% per year, according to IDC data.

“In spite of the recent US-China trade ceasefire, the broader economic environment presents an ongoing challenge and is curtailing consumer trust,” said Arthur Guo, senior research analyst at IDC, in the report.

“This suggests that a significant uplift in smartphone demand is unlikely any time soon, and that the market will navigate more complex landscapes later this year.”

China’s economy rose more than 5% in the second quarter, official figures showed despite tariff disruptions unleashed by US President Donald Trump.

Huawei was at the heart of a fierce conflict between the world’s top two economies after Washington warned that Beijing could use the company’s equipment for spying.

Sanctions since 2019 have reduced the company’s access to US-made technology and forced it to develop its own components.

California-based Apple has been struggling with poor iPhone sales in China, and last year it won two local rivals as the country’s best-selling smartphone brand.

In the IDC report, Apple was ranked fifth on the list, holding 13.9% of the Chinese smartphone market and shipping 9.6 million units.

©2025 AFP