Oppo is now the biggest smartphone maker in China
Recognition: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
- Oppo is now the largest smartphone maker in China, according to a new report.
- Vivo climbed to second place on the list, Huawei slipped to third place.
Despite its problems, Huawei stepped in as China’s leading smartphone maker in 2021. However, given the impact the U.S. ban had on the company, it was likely that domination would come to an end at some point. Now Counterpoint reports that Oppo has usurped the company as the largest smartphone maker in China for the first time.
Oppo owned 21% of the country’s market share in January 2021, with Vivo nearly leading the way at 20%. It is noteworthy that Huawei slipped into third place with Apple and Xiaomi. All three companies now each hold 16% market share.
Huawei’s fall is exceptionally strong. In the second quarter of 2020, it owned 46% of the Chinese market – the country remained a bastion for the company. That popularity has since declined, falling from 30% in the fourth quarter of 2020 to the new low watermark earlier this year. Huawei has since dumped Honor as well, so that would make up some of the market share loss.
Oppo and Huawei: reversed fate
By contrast, Oppo’s local growth is strong. Per counterpoint, sales in China increased by 33% compared to the previous month. Sales increased by 26% compared to the previous year. The research firm also suggests that Oppo held just 16% of the country’s market share in the fourth quarter of 2020, placing it behind Vivo.
Part of the success is the introduction of a Huawei-like strategy. The company is now playing in the segments its rival has left. Products like the Reno 5 series offer potential buyers a solid premium mid-ranger. And despite the phone’s visual flaws, it has a fast chipset, 5G smarts, and long battery life. Oppo’s budget range is backed by the A-series, while the Find X3-series flagship is also coming on steam.
With its chip bottlenecks, Huawei can no longer keep up with the new players on all fronts. It places its hopes solely on high-end products like the foldable Mate X2 and the upcoming P50 series.
Oppo continues to gain a larger global presence, but even if the ban is reviewed, Huawei is unlikely to regain what it lost overnight.
