According to the latest data from China-based market research firm CINNO Research, Huawei surpassed Apple in smartphone sales in China as of August 2024. This marks the first time in about four years that Huawei has outperformed Apple. Huawei’s recent success comes despite the challenges posed by the US embargo, which had severely limited Huawei’s technological development and competitive strength in the global market. Particularly, difficulties in 5G technology had reduced Huawei’s market share. However, the company started regaining strength in the domestic market by developing its Kirin 9000s processor, which includes its own 5G modem.
Chinese Consumers Prefer Local Brands
The shift of Chinese consumers towards local brands has also worked in Huawei’s favor. According to a report by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, while sales of foreign technology firms fell by 12.7% in August 2024, sales of Chinese manufacturers increased by 26.7%. This indicates a trend among local consumers to prefer domestic products.
The situation for Apple in the Chinese market is different. Apple introduced its new technology, Apple Intelligence, with the iPhone 16, but will not bring this technology to the Chinese market until next year. This means that the interest of Chinese consumers in new Apple products may remain limited for a while longer. Huawei’s performance during this period highlights how strong domestic product preferences are in China and underscores the importance of technological independence.