IDC: Chinese Smartphone Market Maintains its Recovery Momentum at 6.5% Growth in 1Q24, Honor and Huawei Tied for Top Spot

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• Michael De La Cruz  Email: mdelacruz@idc.com
• Miguel Carreon  Email: mcarreon@idc.com
• Will Wong  Email: wwong@idc.com

BEIJING and NEEDHAM, Mass., 25 April 2024 – According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, China smartphone shipments grew 6.5% year over year (YoY) to 69.3 million units in 1Q24. Although the growth was supported by a low comparison base year, it marks the second consecutive quarter of growth adding momentum to the market recovery.

The market saw better-than-expected shipments mainly driven by strong growth from Honor and Huawei, which also spurred a 9.3% YoY growth in the overall Android market. On the other hand, Apple declined 6.6% over the same period as it faced more intense competition. The Lunar New Year in the first quarter of 2024 also stimulated shopping sentiment and the demand for low- to mid-range devices. In the high-end segment, the AI buzz and the foldable products allowed the Android smartphone vendors to further differentiate themselves from Apple and garnered increased interest from Chinese consumers.

"Honor climbed to the top spot, thanks to its well-rounded product portfolio and the Magic 6 series which came with popular AI features," said Arthur Guo, senior research analyst in Client System Research for IDC China. "Meanwhile, Huawei made a strong comeback and achieved a tie with Honor, though supply constraints will still be a pain point. Apple’s price promotions in the quarter were unable to mitigate the impact of the intense competition from Android players."

"The close race among the top-tier players implies that Chinese consumers are more likely to change from one brand to another," said Will Wong, senior research manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific. "Thus, there’s an increased need for action from the vendors to keep innovating to ensure strong customer stickiness."

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For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, please contact Jackie Kliem at 508-988-7984 and jkliem@idc.com.

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About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

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