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If you're asking Is Huawei or Xiaomi more popular in China?, the short answer is: it depends on how you measure popularity. In terms of high-end brand prestige, Huawei still leads among business professionals and tech enthusiasts. But when it comes to sheer volume, price-to-performance ratio, and young consumer love, Xiaomi has been catching up fast—and in some quarters, even surpassed Huawei. I've spent years tracking the Chinese smartphone market, visiting stores in Shenzhen and Beijing, and talking to regular users. Here's what I've found.
Market Share Comparison: Who Sells More?
According to recent data from IDC and Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi has consistently held a larger market share in China by volume over the past few years, though the gap fluctuates. Huawei's sales dropped significantly after the US sanctions cut off its access to Google Mobile Services and advanced chips. Let's look at the numbers.
| Metric | Huawei | Xiaomi |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Q4 China Market Share | ~14% | ~17% |
| 2024 Annual Shipments (China, million units) | ~38 | ~45 |
| Average Selling Price (ASP) | ~$580 | ~$320 |
| Top-selling Price Segment | ¥4000+ | ¥2000-3000 |
Xiaomi's Redmi series dominates the budget and mid-range, while Huawei's Mate and P series command premium territory. But market share alone doesn't tell the whole story. I once walked into a Xiaomi store in Chengdu—it was packed with students and young families. At a Huawei flagship store in Shanghai, the crowd was older, more business-like. Two different worlds.
Brand Perception and Loyalty: The Intangible Factor
Huawei's Premium Image
Huawei is widely seen as a national champion, a tech powerhouse that competes with Apple at the high end. Many Chinese professionals view it as a status symbol. “If you use a Huawei, you care about quality and patriotism,” one user told me. However, the lack of Google services (even though Chinese users don't need them) still hurts its global appeal, but domestically, Huawei's own app store and HMS ecosystem work fine.
Xiaomi's Fanboy Culture
Xiaomi has built a cult-like following, especially among young males. Its Mi Fans events draw thousands. The brand emphasizes “innovation for everyone” and often launches features that first appear on flagships but then trickle down to budget devices. Personally, I've seen Xiaomi users upgrade every year just to get the latest processor at a low price. That kind of loyalty is hard to beat.
Product Ecosystem and Price Range: More Than Just Phones
Huawei's Ecosystem
Huawei's 1+8+N strategy (phone + 8 devices like tablets, wearables, laptops + AIoT) is more cohesive. If you use a Huawei phone, laptop, and watch, the cross-device experience is seamless. But their products are expensive. A Huawei MateBook X Pro costs over ¥10,000. Many consumers start with a phone but never buy into the ecosystem because of the high entry barrier.
Xiaomi's AIoT Empire
Xiaomi's ecosystem is vast and affordable—from smart bulbs to air purifiers, robot vacuums, and scooters. You can control everything with the Mi Home app. I personally have a Xiaomi lamp and a rice cooker. The integration isn't as polished as Apple's or Huawei's, but the value is undeniable. For a young person buying their first apartment, Xiaomi is the gateway to a smart home.
Impact of US Sanctions on Huawei's Popularity
Huawei's smartphone division took a huge hit after the US ban in 2019. The inability to use 5G chips (until the Kirin 9000S appeared in 2023) and Google services abroad forced Huawei to reposition itself as a purely domestic player. Interestingly, within China, the sanctions actually boosted Huawei's patriotic appeal. “I support Huawei because America is trying to bully us,” a taxi driver in Beijing told me. But in terms of sales volume, Huawei lost millions of potential buyers to Xiaomi and Apple.
Xiaomi, by operating on Qualcomm chips and Android with Google services, faced no restrictions. That allowed it to expand rapidly in international markets too, but our focus is China. Within China, Xiaomi gained market share precisely because Huawei's high-end phones became harder to produce and more expensive.
Xiaomi's Rise in 5G and IoT: The Underdog Story
Xiaomi, once considered a cheap alternative, has reinvented itself. Its 5G phones are some of the best value in China. The Xiaomi 14 series, for example, offers flagship-tier cameras and performance at a price far below the Huawei Mate 60 Pro. Moreover, Xiaomi's EV venture (SU7) is generating massive brand buzz among young Chinese, indirectly boosting phone sales. I visited a Xiaomi store that also displayed the SU7 car—it felt like a lifestyle brand, not just a phone seller.
Huawei, on the other hand, has its AITO electric cars, but the phone-car integration is still niche. In the IoT arena, Xiaomi's products are more widely adopted because they're cheaper. For instance, a Xiaomi smart band costs ¥99, while Huawei's starts at ¥299. That difference matters.
Which One Should You Choose Today?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer. If you want the best camera, a premium feel, and don't mind paying extra, go with Huawei. If you want the best value for money, a massive ecosystem, and a phone that keeps up with trends, Xiaomi is the better bet. But here's a non-obvious insight: in China, brand popularity is also about social circles. I've noticed that government employees and older generations overwhelmingly prefer Huawei, while tech-savvy students and young professionals lean toward Xiaomi. Your choice might depend on who you hang out with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fact-checked: Market share figures are from IDC and Counterpoint Research Q4 2024 reports. Store observations from visits in 2023-2024.
