Xiaomi has become the leading smartphone brand in China for the second quarter of 2025, according to data from market research firm BCI. The company achieved a market share of 16.63% after activating approximately 11.42 million devices, marking a 7.39% year-on-year growth.

Following Xiaomi are Vivo, Oppo, Huawei, and Apple, with market shares of 16.37% for Vivo, 16.27% for Oppo, and 16.08% for both Huawei and Apple.

Vivo is the only brand among the top five that recorded a decline in market share, dropping by 5.95% compared to the same period last year.

Huawei’s fourth-place ranking indicates its ability to adapt despite facing challenges from international sanctions that have impacted its access to components and software. Apple maintains its position in the market but is experiencing strong competition from local brands such as Xiaomi and Oppo, which are gaining popularity among consumers.

🔗 Source: Huxiu

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ China’s smartphone market shows unprecedented competitive parity

The extremely tight market share distribution, with all five leading brands within just 0.55 percentage points of each other, represents a remarkable competitive equilibrium rarely seen in technology markets.

This neck-and-neck race contrasts sharply with China’s smartphone market structure from previous years, which typically showed clearer leaders and followers with wider percentage gaps between positions.

The current market equilibrium reflects a dramatic consolidation among top players, with the combined market share of the top five vendors increasing from 73% in 2017 to 88% in 2018 as smaller players were squeezed out 1.

This consolidation has intensified, creating a “big five” group all competing for incremental advantages, suggesting that the Chinese smartphone market has entered a mature phase where disruptive market share shifts are increasingly difficult.

The competitive balance is particularly notable when compared to other regions where market leadership positions often show wider margins between competitors.

2️⃣ Huawei’s resilience represents one of tech’s most remarkable comeback stories

Despite facing severe US sanctions that threatened its existence, Huawei has engineered a remarkable recovery, with shipments increasing by 24% in 2024 while maintaining a 16% market share in China 2.

The company’s resurgence is driven by strategic pivots, including significant investments in 107 tech startups through its Hubble investment arm to enhance in-house R&D capabilities 3.

Huawei’s revenue rose by nearly 10% to 704.2 billion yuan in 2023, with its net profit more than doubling to 87 billion yuan—its fastest growth in four years despite continuing sanctions 4.

Recent Xiaomi developments