Smartphone market share in China 2023, by leading model

In July 2023, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max had a market share of four percent in China. It was the most popular smartphone model in the country, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the OPPO A58.

A sprinkle of Apple

The Chinese smartphone market was dominated by Chinese brands with a stable share of Apple’s iPhone. As of 2022, at least 70 percent of the country’s market was occupied by domestic brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Honor. While these companies were able to replace most foreign brands, Apple was still able to carve out a consistent market share and even sell the most popular smartphone models in the country.

The rise and fall of Huawei

Until 2021, Huawei was China’s largest smartphone manufacturer until the U.S. sanctions from two year earlier finally began to bite. After being placed on a trade black list, the Shenzhen-based tech giant was barred it from accessing important chips and other components. As a result, the company’s smartphone division and consequently its revenue took a significant hit. After Huawei’s demise, the former Huawei-owned Honor entered the market in 2021 and slowly carved out a chunk in the Chinese market.