3 6 Ke·2026-01-19 11:20Core Insights - The Chinese smartphone market experienced a slight decline in 2025, with total shipments around 285 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 0.6% compared to a 5.6% growth in 2024 [1] - Key trends include a solidified high-end market, intense competition in the mid-range segment, and the entry of external players, prompting traditional manufacturers to innovate and expand their business boundaries [1] Market Dynamics - Huawei regained the top position in the Chinese smartphone market in 2025, with a shipment of 46.7 million units, a 1.9% decrease from 2024 [6][5] - Apple followed closely with 46.2 million units shipped, marking a 4% increase year-on-year, and capturing a market share of 16.2% [6][5] - The top five manufacturers—Huawei, Apple, vivo, Xiaomi, and OPPO—showed minimal differences in market share, all exceeding 15%, with only a 330,000 unit gap between the first and fifth [4][3] Competitive Landscape - The competition among the top five manufacturers has intensified, with no significant gaps in market share, indicating a shift towards a more competitive environment [2][4] - Xiaomi is focusing on high-end markets and aims to increase its average selling price (ASP) while exploring new growth avenues through its automotive business [8][22] - OPPO and vivo are facing challenges in their traditional offline channels due to the rise of e-commerce and aggressive competition from peers [9] Market Segmentation - The mid-range market (2000-4000 yuan) is characterized by fierce competition, with brands pushing flagship technologies into this segment, leading to a homogenization of products [11] - The high-end market remains stable, with no significant shifts in market dynamics, as brands struggle to introduce disruptive technologies that could challenge established players like Apple and Huawei [12] Technological Evolution - The smartphone industry is transitioning into an era of "joint definition," where both hardware and AI capabilities are being integrated to enhance user experience [15][21] - Two main technological paths are emerging: one led by internet companies focusing on AI-driven hardware, and another by traditional manufacturers integrating AI into their existing hardware [17][20] Industry Expansion - Traditional smartphone manufacturers are diversifying their business models, exploring new growth avenues such as electric vehicles and AI products [22] - New entrants, particularly from the internet and AI sectors, are reshaping the competitive landscape, with companies like ByteDance seeking partnerships to leverage their AI capabilities in the smartphone market [25][26]