In a surprising turn of events, embattled Chinese tech giant Huawei has temporarily regained the smartphone sales lead in its home market. A new analysis from Counterpoint Research tracking early 2024 data shows Huawei shipping the most devices in China during the first two weeks of January.
The company owes its strong start to a confluence of factors. Huawei’s latest Mate 60 flagship powered by the homegrown Kirin 9000 chipset is resonating with patriotic buyers. Meanwhile, brand loyalty amongst existing customers remains high, even after supply chain struggles due to US trade restrictions.
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Huawei’s in-house HarmonyOS platform reaching maturity in version 4.0 also stimulates demand despite the lack of Google services. A refreshed Nova 12 lineup released in December likely contributed momentum carrying into the new year sales period as well.
It remains to be seen whether Huawei can sustain this market lead once the initial launch demand tapers off. But with massive government support to build domestic chip production, Huawei continues plotting its revival.
For now, its early 2024 numbers prove even a wounded Huawei is still a force to be reckoned with on home soil. Chinese consumers are still receptive to the brand when supply can keep up. So while US sanctions took a heavy toll, Huawei demonstrates there’s still a fight left in it.