Shipments dip after six-quarter streak: Q2 2025 shipments dropped 4% YoY to around 68.96–69.00 million units, ending a six-quarter recovery.
Huawei reclaims the top spot: Huawei holds 18.1% share, while Xiaomi is the only top-five brand to grow, up 3.4% YoY.
AI phones become mainstream: Shipments of AI-enabled smartphones are expected to hit 118 million units in 2025, reaching 40.7% market share.
Foldables scale rapidly: 4.98 million units shipped in 1H 2025, up 12.6% YoY, with Huawei capturing 75%share.
Premium dominates mid-tier: Models above $600 now account for 25.2%–30.9% of sales, while domestic brands capture 72% of the RMB 4,000–5,999 segment.
China’s smartphone market just blinked. After six straight quarters of growth, shipments in Q2 2025 slipped 4% YoY to about 69 million units, even as first-half totals held near 140 million (-0.6%).
A national trade-in subsidy launched in January drove early spikes but lost momentum at the high end, reflecting shifting consumer priorities.
China’s trade-in program, introduced on January 20, offered up to RMB 500 or 15% off for phones priced below RMB 6,000, causing some regions to see sales surges of up to 200% in early weeks.
Yet, excluding ultra-premium devices muted the overall impact, and shipments ultimately failed to sustain prior momentum.
IDC projects total 2025 shipments at 289 million units (+1.6% YoY), implying that policy-driven boosts are temporary, while sustainable growth will require structural product innovation.
