While definitive data for the entire year of 2024 has yet to be released by major institutions, a recent report has shed light on sales figures spanning the first 52 weeks of the year. While this does not encapsulate the full twelve months, it provides a compelling glimpse into the annual trends.

The market share distribution for this period is depicted in the chart below. At the forefront, vivo claims 17.38% (inclusive of iQOO's 4.68%), followed by Huawei with 16.00%, Xiaomi at 15.89%, Apple with 15.10%, Honor at 14.77%, and OPPO holding 13.70% (including OnePlus's 1.60%).

This data reveals notable shifts compared to 2023, as seen in the chart below which reflects the previous year's standings. In 2023, the top six were Apple (17%), VIVO (16.6%), OPPO (15.8%), Honor (15.3%), Xiaomi (14.85%), and Huawei (12%).

Key changes from 2023 to 2024 include:

1. Apple slipped from the top spot to fourth place.

2. VIVO ascended from second to first place.

3. OPPO fell dramatically from third to sixth place.

4. Honor dropped from fourth to fifth place.

5. Xiaomi climbed from fifth to third place.

6. Huawei made a significant leap from sixth to second place.

The market has undergone a complete realignment over these two years, with every major player experiencing a change in rank. Notably, Apple's decline from first to fourth place and OPPO's exclusion from the top five stand out as the most significant shifts.

Conversely, Xiaomi and Huawei have shown marked improvement, with Huawei's ascent from sixth to second place being particularly impressive.

However, despite the apparent ranking fluctuations, a closer examination of market shares reveals that the differences between brands are relatively minor. The margin between each rank is approximately 1%, or even less, representing a swing of a few hundred thousand to over a million units. Such slight variations in performance can easily propel a brand up or down several positions in the rankings.

Therefore, while the market may appear to have undergone a significant transformation, the reality is that the initial gaps were narrow, and minor fluctuations have led to pronounced changes in market share and ranking positions.