Vivo Ranks First in China’s Smartphone Q3 Market Share, Honor Shows Fastest Growth

Counterpoint Research, a market research company, released a report on Thursday, showing that the sales volume of smartphones in China during the third quarter was 76.5 million units, down 9% year-on-year. Vivo’s smartphone sales increased by 21% year-on-year in this quarter, ranking first with a market share of 23%.

According to the report, due to weak consumer demand and a continuing shortage of components, especially the 4G system on chip, China’s smartphone market failed to see any significant improvement in the third quarter. 5G smartphone sales accounted for 79% of the total smartphone sales in this quarter.

“China’s smartphone market experienced a further reshuffle in the third quarter, with vivo and OPPO continuing to lead the market with shares of 23% and 20%, respectively. Honor quickly rose to third place, leading Xiaomi by a narrow margin. Honor challenges Xiaomi‘s market position the most, because online channels contribute a higher proportion of sales to both companies. Apple’s ranking has not changed, but with the launch of iPhone 13 series, Apple’s ranking is expected to rise in the fourth quarter,” said Ethan Qi, a senior research analyst at Counterpoint.

In the third quarter, the sales volume of Vivo smartphones was 18.3 million units, up 21% year-on-year, and its market share increased from 17% in the same period last year to 23%. Vivo’s mobile phone sales are mainly driven by S10, S10 Pro, Y31s and Y52s. OPPO ranked second, with sales of 16.5 million smartphones in the third quarter, up 26% year-on-year, and its market share increased from 15% in the same period last year to 20%.

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Honor is the fastest growing brand in the third quarter with sales of 14.2 million smartphones, an increase of 96% from the previous quarter. Honor has rebounded strongly since June, nearly doubling its market share to 14.7% from 7.7% in the second quarter. More than 30 dealers and retailers serve as Honor’s investors, which has helped the firm quickly resume sales in online and offline channels.

Xiaomi, Apple, Huawei and Realme rank 4th to 7th, with market shares of 14%, 13%, 8% and 4%, respectively.