Huawei Leads China’s Foldable Market as Competitors Lag Behind

IDC has published a fresh market analysis indicating that the foldable phone sector in China faced both advancements and hurdles in 2024. Huawei, which introduced foldable models like the Mate X6 and Mate XT Ultimate this year, is currently the frontrunner in China’s foldable phone landscape.

Huawei’s Strong Position

According to the IDC survey, Huawei dominates the foldable phone industry in China, holding nearly 50 percent market share. Honor follows closely with 20.6 percent, and Vivo takes 11.1 percent, bolstered by solid offerings such as the X Fold 3 series. Xiaomi comes in fourth with a 7.4 percent share, owing to the success of its inaugural clamshell foldable. Even though Oppo didn’t launch any new foldable devices in 2024, it still managed to maintain a 5.3 percent share thanks to positive user feedback. Interestingly, Samsung, a worldwide leader in foldable technology, has yet to make a significant impact in China’s competitive market.

Market Trends and Challenges

In terms of market dynamics, foldable phone shipments reached 9.17 million units in 2024, marking a 30.8 percent increase from the previous year. However, the fourth quarter saw a 9.6 percent drop in shipments, resulting in a total of 2.5 million units. This represented the first decline after nine quarters of steady growth. While enhancements in design, durability, and battery performance have made foldable phones more attractive, factors like high prices, durability concerns, and limited internal space remain barriers for wider adoption.

Recovery in Smartphone Market

China’s smartphone market showed significant recovery in 2024 after two years of decline, with shipments hitting around 286 million units—an increase of 5.6 percent year-on-year. This growth can be attributed to the rising demand for AI features, better displays, and extended battery life, especially in the first half of the year. Although demand began to slow down towards the year’s end, upcoming government-supported consumer subsidy programs in 2025 are predicted to give the market another boost.

Experts believe this recovery offers a vital chance for manufacturers to innovate and take advantage of changing consumer preferences. Nevertheless, companies need to strike a balance between immediate profits and long-term growth to avoid the risk of depleting future demand too soon.

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