China smartphone shipments continue decline in third quarter as former Huawei mobile brand Honor reclaims top vendor ranking

Honor, a mobile brand that was previously part of Huawei Technologies, has emerged as the leading smartphone vendor in China. This occurred in the third quarter of the year, a period that saw a slight decline in the country's smartphone market despite the introduction of new 5G handsets. According to a report by tech market research firm Canalys, smartphone shipments in China decreased by 5% year on year to 66. 7 million units. This is a larger decline compared to the 1% drop in global smartphone shipments during the same period.

Honor reclaimed its position as the top smartphone vendor in mainland China in the last quarter, capturing 18% of the market share and shipping a total of 11. 8 million units. This is a significant achievement, considering that it's been over a year since Honor last led the market in the first quarter of 2022. At that time, they held a 20% market share and shipped 15 million units. Market analysts attribute Honor's rise to the top of China's smartphone vendor rankings to its diverse range of handsets, expansion of physical retail stores through partnerships, and the launch of competitively priced new models.

In addition to offering products across all price ranges, Honor has been expanding its offline store presence in various tiers of Chinese cities and investing in enhancing its brand awareness. This information was shared by Canalys research manager Amber Liu. The performance of Honor in the last quarter indicates that China's smartphone market may have already hit its lowest point, a sign that Canalys interprets as a gradual recovery of demand.