Honor Ranks Second in Chinese Smartphone Market for First Time

According to data released by Counterpoint Market Monitor on Wednesday, in Q4 2021, Apple’s market share in China was 21%, while Honor’s market share was 17%. The latter has now risen to second place in the Chinese market for the first time.

Vivo’s shipments in Q4 fell 14% year-on-year, remaining in third place with a market share of 16%. OPPO and Xiaomi ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, also with a market share of around 16% each.

China’s smartphone shipments decreased by 11% year-on-year in Q4 2021. Thanks to its lowered price, the iPhone 13 series dominated the high-end market.

Honor made a strong return with the continuous success of high-end products. The Honor 50 Series has continuously maintained the status of sales champion in the price range of $200-$599 during the five months since its launch.

Counterpoint expects Honor to continue to maintain strong growth with the help of its new products in 2022. According to weekly sales data, Honor’s sales in the last two weeks of January increased by 32% compared with the previous two weeks. In the last week of January, its sales market share reached 17%.

Although overall shipments in the Chinese market declined in 2021, major smartphone brand manufacturers are still expanding their high-end products, including with the X70 Pro by Vivo, the Mix 4 by Xiaomi, and the Honor Magic 3 series and Magic V.

Folding screen products are another popular choice for consumers recently. OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can provide differentiated high-end products for the market with folding screen equipment. In addition, Apple has not yet entered this field, which means that other OEMs have a first-mover advantage.

The battle for the high-end sector will not be limited to the Chinese market. OEMs including Honor, Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi are accelerating to bring their high-end products to the global stage. Western Europe has a large quantity of high-end smartphone consumers, so this region will become the key overseas market for these manufacturers to lay out their high-end products. Success in the Western European market will also help Chinese smartphone brand manufacturers enhance their overseas brand image.

SEE ALSO: Honor 60 SE Smartphone Launched, Starting From $346

In March 2022, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) will be held in Barcelona, Spain, representing a golden opportunity to appear in the European market. OEMs including Honor, Vivo and OPPO will all bring their latest high-end products and cutting-edge technologies to this year’s MWC.