Currently, Apple is arguably the most prominent tech company globally.

While many consider Microsoft and NVIDIA equally impressive, both with market capitalizations exceeding USD 3 trillion, why is Apple considered the top dog?

In fact, Apple's business model reveals its strength: hardware such as iPads, iPhones, Macs, and various peripherals, and software including MacOS, iOS, and other systems and applications.

Additionally, Apple boasts A-series and M-series chips, all of which are among the best globally, a setup that Microsoft and NVIDIA cannot match.

Within China, Huawei stands out as the leading tech company, with a broad range of businesses and cutting-edge technologies that have few global competitors, let alone among Chinese tech firms.

Specifically, Huawei has operating systems like HarmonyOS and EulerOS, chips like Kirin, Kunpeng, and Ascend, smartphones like Matebook, Mate/P/Nova, and businesses in 5G, telecommunications equipment, cloud computing, AI, smart cars, and more.

Its diverse business layout is even more extensive than Apple's, and many of Huawei's businesses directly compete with Apple's.

So, the question arises: When comparing Apple and Huawei, how significant is the gap?

Given the difficulty in directly comparing businesses, we can use revenue and profit figures from the past decade to get a rough idea.

As shown in the chart above, before 2020, Huawei's growth was remarkable, increasing from initially having only a quarter of Apple's revenue to almost half.

However, after 2020, due to well-known reasons, Huawei's revenue declined instead of increasing, while Apple continued to grow rapidly. By 2023, Apple's revenue was around five times that of Huawei.

In terms of profit, Apple enjoys high brand influence, leading to high premiums and profits. The profit gap between the two is indeed vast, with Apple typically earning seven to eight times Huawei's profit annually.

Therefore, in terms of revenue and profit, the gap between Huawei and Apple is considerable. However, this also indicates significant room for Huawei's growth, particularly in international influence and business.

Now, the question is: When will Huawei surpass Apple? Exceeding Apple in revenue alone, not to mention profit, would be a remarkable achievement. To achieve this goal, Huawei's smart car business will likely need to step up, as it won't be easy otherwise.