While Samsung and Apple continue to lead the smartphone market, Chinese competitors Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have made remarkable progress, now securing a significant share of global smartphone sales.
Data from AltIndex.com reveals that the top three Chinese smartphone vendors collectively shipped over 180 million units in the first half of 2024, marking a 14% increase compared to the same period last year.
Xiaomi Leads with a 30% Year-Over-Year Surge, Outpacing Competitors
Several factors have fueled the surge in Chinese smartphone sales, both domestically and internationally. China’s leadership in 5G deployment has positioned its smartphone brands at the forefront of offering 5G-enabled devices.
Moreover, manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo are known for their aggressive pricing strategies, offering high-specification phones at lower costs, making them particularly appealing in price-sensitive emerging markets. Additionally, brands like Xiaomi have successfully integrated smartphones with broader ecosystems of smart devices, a feature highly valued by users.
Domestic sales have also benefited from shifting consumer preferences amid geopolitical tensions, driving demand for homegrown brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo. Consequently, these vendors saw a significant increase in shipments during the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year.
According to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker data, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo shipped over 180 million smartphones globally between January and June 2024, an increase of 21 million units year-over-year. Xiaomi led the growth, selling 83.1 million devices, a 30% rise compared to H1 2023. Vivo’s shipments grew by 10%, from 42.5 million to 46.7 million. Oppo, however, saw a 3% decline, shipping 51 million units in H1 2024.
Chinese Smartphone brands Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo Now Account for 31% of Global Smartphone Sales
With over 180 million devices shipped in the first half of 2024, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo now represent 31.3% of total smartphone sales, a 1.3% increase from H1 2023. Meanwhile, Samsung and Apple, the two largest smartphone brands, are seeing a decline in market share due to the rising competition from Chinese manufacturers.
IDC data shows that Samsung and Apple, with a combined shipment of over 209 million units, accounted for 36% of global smartphone sales in the first half of the year, down 4% from the same period last year, when they shipped nearly 214 million devices.
