China's smartphone market didn't impress in the second quarter of 2025

Momentum fades slowly, but eventually. This is common when a sports team is winning or a business is developing. Good momentum creates an enthusiasm that makes success seem to build on itself.

It is particularly crucial in fast-paced technology, especially when analyzing market trends. A surge in demand or a popular new product can promote a firm or industry. A look at new smartphone industry data from China show that even the strongest growth spurts can strike a wall, indicating shifts in consumer behavior and the economy.

📱What are the numbers saying?

Well, smartphone shipments in China actually fell by 4.0% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to last year, reaching only 69 million units, per IDC figures. Overall, it contributed to a global dip in smartphone purchases.

Simply put, people in China bought fewer smartphones than they used to. For every 100 smartphones sold in last year's second quarter, only 96 were sold this year in the same period.

📉 Why has the market slowed down?

China, which used to be a big driver for global smartphone growth, faced a few challenges, including consumers feeling less confident about spending money, government subsidies not being enough, and the ongoing global economic issues.

Another factor was the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, which are still affecting consumer demand. Even smartphone companies became more cautious, slowed down their shipments and used the "618" shopping festival in June to sell off older models.

🤑 Which smartphone brands are leading the market?

• Huawei reclaimed the top spot for the first time in over four years, shipping 12.5 million units for an 18.1% market share, though its volumes slipped 3.4% year-on-year.
• Vivo, the previous leader, fell to second place with 11.9 million units, marking a steep 10.1% decline.
• OPPO followed with 10.7 million units, also down by 5.0%, as competitive pressure intensified across the board.
• Only Xiaomi bucked the trend. The brand grew 3.4% year-on-year, shipping 10.4 million units to claim a 15.1% share.
• Apple, meanwhile, saw a modest 1.3% decline to 9.6 million units. Outside the top five, smaller vendors also struggled.
• Shipments in the “Others” category dropped to 13.8 million from 14.5 million a year earlier—a 4.9% decline.

🚀 What's the future outlook?

While the results show that the smartphone market in China is moving past its recent recovery and into a tougher period, it's not all grim. If the government subsidy program regains traction in the second half, as some expect, it could give the market a short-term boost.

In the long run, real growth will come from brands that can adapt quickly to what consumers want.