Huawei and Apple Lead Growth in China's Sluggish Smartphone Market – Q2 2025 Report

The Chinese smartphone market remained mostly flat in Q2 2025, posting just a 1% year-over-year increase in total shipments, according to the latest Counterpoint Research data. Despite the stagnation, Huawei and Apple stood out as the only major brands to achieve notable shipment growth during the April–June period.

Huawei is projected to top all manufacturers with a 12% YoY shipment growth, fueled by strong consumer demand during the 618 shopping festival and boosted further by China’s ongoing national subsidy program. This initiative, which covers a range of smart devices priced under CNY 6,000 ($820), offers a one-time discount of up to CNY 500 ($68) on eligible products.

However, the future of this growth driver is uncertain, as the subsidy program may be scaled back in the second half of 2025, potentially impacting sales momentum.

Apple is expected to follow closely with an estimated 8% growth in shipments for the quarter. The brand saw increased demand for its latest iPhone 16 series, driven by attractive discounts ahead of the 618 festival in May—positioning Apple as the only other top-five brand with positive Q2 performance.