Huawei Regains Top Spot in Chinese Smartphone Market

“Mate 50 Pro 5G plays a big role…Chinese brand loyalty also contributes to popularity”

[iNews24, Se-jun An, Reporter] Chinese telecommunications equipment and mobile phone manufacturer Huawei reclaims No. 1 position in China’s smartphone market. Last year, Apple held the No. 1 position in the Chinese smartphone market.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and market research firm Counterpoint, Huawei topped the list of smartphone sales in mainland China in the first two weeks of this year. This is the first time that Huawei has ranked first in the Chinese smartphone market since the U.S. government’s sanctions.

The U.S. blacklisted Huawei in 2019 during the Trump administration, banning cooperation with American companies in almost all businesses. Huawei, which dominated the Chinese and global markets in the second quarter of 2020, saw its performance plummet as sanctions began to take effect.

The success of the Mate 60 Pro 5G smartphone, launched last August, appears to have contributed to Huawei’s resurgence. The SCMP said, “The flagship smartphone Mate 60 Pro 5G, which was released in August last year, played a big role,” and “The brand loyalty of Chinese consumers contributed to the popularity of Huawei’s new 5G handset.”

It is unclear whether Huawei can maintain its No. 1 position in China for a long period. Counterpoint said, “The industry leader, Apple, as well as major competitors like Xiaomi and so on, are fiercely competing.”