The smartphone market in China saw a 25% quarter-on-quarter growth to reach over 90 million sell-in units in the second quarter, despite the market contracting 7% compared to the same period last year, according to market research firm Canalys.
Huawei was the top vendor in the second quarter, shipping 40.2 million units in the second quarter, and extending its market share to 44%.
Vivo and OPPO maintained second and third place, growing 23% and 16% sequentially.
Xiaomi, in fourth place, shipped 9.3 million units with 21% quarter on quarter growth.
Apple shipped 7.7 million iPhones, posting the fastest growth among the top five, at 25% sequentially and 35% annually, driven by rising online sales and its lower priced portfolio.
“Thanks to the significant marketing push and sales incentives offered by major e-commerce players like Alibaba, JD.com and Pinduoduo during the quarter, smartphone vendors saw stronger than expected Q2 results, despite offline traffic being weak,”said Jason Low, Senior Analyst at Canalys.
5G smartphones are thriving with 39 million units shipped in China in the second quarter, up 260% from the previous quarter, according to Canalys.
Canalys forecasts China's smartphone shipments to reach 325 million in 2020. “Consumer demand for smartphones is likely to improve gradually, with growth uncertainties persisting. Chinese vendors are keen to rapidly capitalize on China's recovery to offset their losses in other major markets, where the negative impact of coronavirus may be more prolonged,” said Low.
