In 2023, Canalys reported global smartphone shipments hitting 1.14 billion units. Three Chinese brands – Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion – entered the top five.
As China’s smartphone industry matures, more Chinese brands explore overseas markets. At Mobile World Congress 2024, Honor’s Magic 6 Pro gained attention for its AI-enabled eye tracking. Honor earlier launched the Magic V2 foldable smartphone, setting a new standard in foldable phones.
China has become the world’s largest producer and exporter of mobile phones, with exports totaling over 123.7 million phones in the first two months of 2024.
Overseas markets, especially emerging ones, are crucial for Chinese smartphone brands. Xiaomi targets Central and East Africa, Europe, and Latin America. OPPO and Vivo focus on the Asia-Pacific. Honor prioritizes Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Chinese smartphones offer high cost-performance and designs tailored to overseas markets. China’s robust smartphone industry, diverse product segments, and complete industrial chain contribute to competitiveness abroad. Honor, for instance, entered the top five in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America in less than two years.
CEO George Zhao attributes Honor’s success to quality development, user-focused innovation, and global collaboration.
Chinese smartphone brands have increased their market share in high-end smartphones, reaching 27.4% in 2023, driven by AI technology. Honor has invested heavily in AI research, leading to innovations like cross-device collaboration and next-generation intent recognition.
With AI and other new technologies driving innovation, Chinese smartphones continue to evolve in functionality and technology.