IDC: China's smartphone shipments to grow 5.6% year-on-year in 2024

According to IDC, China's smartphone market shipped 76.4 million units in the fourth quarter of last year, up 3.9% year-on-year. The growth was driven by new product launches and government subsidies in some provinces and cities. For the full year 2024, China's market will ship 286.2 million units, up 5.6% year-on-year, marking a recovery after two years of decline, thanks to pent-up demand and innovations such as GenAI.

Will Wong, senior research manager for client devices at IDC Asia Pacific, said: "The recovery is a boon to the smartphone industry, but not all OEMs have benefited from the growth as consumers have become more discerning. This suggests a trend towards value, which is prevalent not only in China but also globally. Market players need to adapt to this shift in consumer behaviour if they want to continue to profit from the economic recovery."

• vivo leads the Chinese market in 2024, thanks to its user-centric strategy across all price segments and its focus on hardware and software development.
• Huawei has made a strong comeback and, supported by improved supply chain capabilities, has maintained its second place throughout 2024 with a shipment growth of more than 50%.
• Apple took first place in the quarter, but its market share and shipments shrank in 2024 due to intensified market competition and uncertainty over the launch of Apple's smartphones in China.
• Amid fierce competition, Honor remains among the top five OEMs. Suppliers focus on product differentiation and innovation while achieving overseas growth.
• Driven by increased investment in mid-to-high-end products and the success of the Find X8 series, OPPO's shipments rebounded in the fourth quarter of 24.

"The market recovery in 2025 is expected to be supported by government subsidies," said Arthur Guo, senior research analyst at IDC China Client Systems Research. "This provides an opportunity for market players to adjust their strategies by leveraging these government initiatives."