Recently, the 2023 Q4 report on China’s smartphone market was released, highlighting Huawei’s commanding lead in the country’s foldable phone sector. During the fourth quarter of the year, Huawei captured a staggering 51.23% market share, overtaking the combined total of its competitors. Additionally, the report noted that Huawei secured a 40% share in China’s ultra-high-end market priced above 10,000 yuan, with the Huawei Mate X5 contributing 30% of this figure. The Mate X5, in particular, dominated the foldable phone market with a 52.37% share, securing its position as the market leader.
Huawei’s success is largely due to its early start and rapid pace in the foldable phone market. As one of the first manufacturers to launch such devices and the only one to offer a complete range of foldable screen forms – including outward-folding, inward-folding, and vertical-folding – Huawei has maintained a leading position since releasing its first foldable phone in 2019. For three consecutive years, the company has held over 50% of China’s foldable phone market share, surpassing the cumulative share of its competitors, and has remained the market leader for four years straight.
Starting from 2023, while all major phone manufacturers – except Apple – launched foldable phones and expanded the market, Huawei still managed to claim 50% of the ultra-high-end segment in the first half of the year, priced above 10,000 yuan.
Moreover, driven by its impressive performance, recent data from Counterpoint has shown that Huawei has become the world’s third-largest high-end smartphone brand, with its market share in the premium segment continuing to rebound.
Huawei’s standout results in the high-end and ultra-high-end markets can be attributed to the same factors that historically contributed to its success: a strong focus on R&D and consumer needs. For instance, in the area of materials, the Huawei Mate X5 features the durable Kunlun glass, which has a Mohs hardness level of 7 and is 20 times more drop-resistant than ordinary glass, making it the most robust and drop-resistant mass-produced smartphone screen protector available.
In telecommunications, Huawei leverages its extensive background to equip the Mate X5 with capabilities such as bi-directional Beidou satellite messaging, the ability to send and receive satellite messages, and share location and trajectory maps. The Mate X5 also features Huawei’s “Lingxi” communication technology solution, which provides a more stable and faster network experience in scenarios with weak, unstable, or congested signals. Moreover, the Mate X5’s mobile network transmission rate stands out among flagship models, with tests by many users showing download speeds exceeding 2300Mbps, far surpassing the current mainstream flagship level.
In addition to hardware innovations, the Huawei Mate X5 benefits from the company’s extensive experience in the foldable phone sector and other terminal areas such as tablets and notebooks, resulting in a robust large-screen ecosystem. For example, the Mate X5 optimally adapts mainstream applications for larger screens, providing a wider view when playing games unfolded, and the convenience of viewing content on the left while reading comments on the right when using social applications.
In conclusion, whether considering market sales, brand influence, hardware innovation, or user experience, Huawei is in a league of its own in China’s foldable phone market. Looking ahead, it’s exciting to contemplate how Huawei, with its leading technology, substantial R&D investment, and keen attention to consumer pain points, will undoubtedly continue to release foldable devices with superior integrated experiences, enhancing user satisfaction while persistently guiding industry progression.