China's smartphone vendors grow market share, but Q3 sales wane

Smartphone sales in China fell slightly in the third quarter, as new rankings emerged for top players, market researcher Canalys said on Friday.

Domestic smartphone sales were down five percent in Q3 to 78.8 million units. Sales were stimulated by new launches in the quarter following a "soft" second quarter, according to Canalys.

Market leader Vivo solidified its position with about 23 percent market share, followed by OPPO and Honor which entered the top three rankings for the first time. Xiaomi and Apple are also listed in the top five positions, according to Canalys.

Honor, which was spun off by Huawei, doubled its market share to 18 percent in the third quarter.

Honor launched two entry-level X30 models this week with a starting price of 1,399 yuan (US$219) and featuring 5G, bigger screen up to 7 inch and super lightweight design. The X model has sold 90 million units over eight years, making it one of the best-selling product lines in the industry, according to Honor.

"It is successfully upgrading Huawei users, supported by its breadth of channel partnerships," said Canalys analyst Toby Zhu.

OPPO, which has now merged with OnePlus, has expanded its market share in China and globally.

In the third quarter, OPPO sales reached 325 million units globally, registering 18 percent year-on-year growth, the largest of the top five brands. OPPO now ranks No. 4 in the global market behind Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi.

The Chinese smartphone market is expected round out the year with a very low growth rate due to global chipset shortages, analysts said.