Huawei’s Mate 80 Overtakes iPhone 17 Pro as Apple’s Launch Momentum Fades in China
Apple briefly led China’s smartphone market after the iPhone 17 launch. Weeks later, Huawei’s Mate 80 has taken over. Here’s how it happened.
• Apple’s iPhone 17 briefly dominated China’s sales charts, but its launch-driven momentum faded within weeks.
• Huawei didn’t win by topping every model ranking, but by driving broad Mate 80 demand that pushed the brand back to number one.
• Early estimates suggest the Mate 80 has shipped more than 750,000 units, and demand is already outpacing supply.
About a month after Apple launched the iPhone 17 series, the devices surged to the top of China’s weekly sales charts. For several weeks, Apple occupied most of the best-selling slots, briefly reclaiming the title of the country’s top smartphone brand. The early momentum even spilled into markets, giving Apple’s stock a modest lift as investors reacted to the strong launch.
That dominance, however, proved short-lived. As the initial excitement faded, a familiar pattern returned to China’s smartphone market. In November, Huawei introduced the Mate 80 series, and its arrival quickly reshaped weekly sales rankings.
Analysts point to timing as much as product. Huawei launched just as Apple’s post-release surge cooled, positioning the Mate 80 as a fresh alternative when consumers shifted from launch-driven purchases to more deliberate buying decisions. Combined with competitive pricing and incremental upgrades, the series helped push Huawei back into the number-one spot in recent weekly data.
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A look at the Huawei Mate 80 Series
On paper, the Huawei Mate 80 series isn’t a radical reinvention of the Mate line. Instead, it’s a carefully refined upgrade that builds on what the Mate 70 already did well.
The lineup includes the Mate 80, Mate 80 Pro, and Pro Max, with improvements spread across performance, memory options, and deeper HarmonyOS integration. Huawei has leaned heavily into offering higher RAM and storage configurations, even on the standard model, something that’s already resonating with buyers.
Pricing has also played a key role, with the base Huawei Mate 80 (12GB + 256GB) costing CNY 4,699 (~$660) and the Mate 80 Pro starting price at CNY 5,999 (~$840). Those prices undercut many competing flagship models, including Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup and the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, which start several hundred dollars higher, while still delivering premium-tier hardware.
Notably, sales data shows that higher-memory versions of the base Mate 80, especially the 16GB + 512GB variant, are selling the fastest, reportedly outperforming comparable configurations from previous Mate generations by several multiples. In short, Huawei didn’t try to out-Apple Apple. It focused on value, availability, and specs that feel future-proof.
Why did Huawei's momentum shift so quickly?
The Mate 80’s rise aligns with a broader shift in buying behavior in the Chinese smartphone market. Apple’s iPhone 17 launch created a sharp, front-loaded spike, but once that phase passed, rankings began reflecting steadier, mid-cycle demand. Huawei entered precisely at that moment with a lineup that felt competitive on price and generous on specifications, allowing it to capture buyers who were no longer chasing launch-day hype.
Early shipment data support this shift. Within roughly two weeks, the Mate 80 series reportedly shipped about 750,000 units. Delivery timelines for some higher-end variants now extend into early 2026, suggesting demand has already exceeded Huawei’s initial supply. Once again, the strongest pull appears to be higher-memory models, reinforcing the idea that buyers are prioritizing longevity over novelty.
David Adubiina
Where does the Mate 80 rank in the market?
On a single-model level, the Mate 80 isn't consistently the top-selling phone overall. Recent rankings still show the iPhone 17 Pro Max leading individual model charts, with the iPhone 17 close behind. However, the Mate 80 has broken Apple’s streak by entering the top three, becoming the only domestic high-end phone to do so during this cycle.
On a brand level, the picture shifts. Weekly sales data for late 2025 shows Huawei overtaking Apple for two consecutive weeks, capturing roughly 27–28% market share at its peak during that period. Apple slipped to second place as iPhone 17 demand softened, while brands like OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi followed behind.
The bigger picture
The Mate 80 series isn't winning by delivering a single breakout device. It's winning by generating steady demand across multiple models, enough to lift Huawei back to the top of China’s premium smartphone market. That strategy matters more than topping individual model charts.
If Huawei can scale production, estimates suggest the Mate 80 lineup could reach between 10 and 14 million units over its full sales cycle. Whether it reaches the upper end of that range will depend less on demand than on manufacturing capacity. For now, the takeaway is clear. Apple’s launch-driven advantage has faded, and Huawei has capitalized on the transition with pricing discipline, incremental upgrades, and well-timed execution.
In China’s smartphone market, that combination is often enough to shift the balance.
Emmanuel Umahi
