Xiaomi surpasses Apple.

The latest report on mobile device activations in China in 2025 marks a historic turning point: Xiaomi has officially surpassed Apple to claim the second position in the overall market.

Xiaomi unexpectedly surpassed Apple thanks to the appeal of its Xiaomi 17 series. Photo: Xiaomi .

According to detailed data revealed on Weibo by popular tech blogger Digital Chat Station , the Chinese smartphone market in 2025 witnessed a clear but vibrant differentiation. A total of five leading manufacturers all surpassed 40 million activated units, indicating that purchasing power remains high despite economic fluctuations.

The top three positions are held by vivo, Xiaomi, and Apple, respectively. Specifically, vivo continues to hold the top spot with 46.35 million activated devices, accounting for 16.77% of the market share. Although slightly down 2.58% compared to 2024, the brand still maintains stable appeal thanks to its wide range of products.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi caused a major surprise by surpassing Apple and rising to second place with 45.88 million units, achieving a 16.60% market share. This is a significant leap, representing a 5.41% growth compared to the same period last year.

Vivo maintains its leading position in the Chinese market today. This success is largely due to the appeal of its flagship X300 series. Photo: Vivo.

Finally, Apple dropped to third place with 45.2 million units, equivalent to 16.35% market share. Despite ranking behind Xiaomi, Apple still recorded positive growth of 9.34% compared to 2024.

In the following positions, OPPO (including OnePlus and realme) ranked fourth with 43.99 million units (up 7.63%), and Huawei rounded out the Top 5 with 43.40 million activated units.

Experts attribute Xiaomi's breakthrough to the tremendous popularity of the Xiaomi 17 series.

"Xiaomi has overtaken Apple to take second place, largely thanks to the explosive popularity of the Xiaomi 17 series," Digital Chat Station noted.

In addition, the strategy of focusing on AI technology and Leica cameras in its flagship models has helped the company win over the high-end customer segment domestically.

Despite ranking third, Apple still demonstrates a distinct level of excellence. According to Digital Chat Station, Apple is proof of the business model of "quality sales over quantity." Instead of launching a plethora of new products to compete, Apple's brand strength allows it to maintain stable sales throughout the year with just a few flagship iPhone models.

One noteworthy point in this report is the source of the numbers. According to IT Home , the blogger stated: "Currently, all data on the number of device activations in China comes from a single distributor company, ToB."

ToB (Business-to-Business) refers to a service delivery model between businesses. Specifically, these are professional data collection units that specialize in gathering data from network operators and supply chains. This data is essentially internal information that businesses pay for and is not officially released to the public.

"What sets this source apart is its high level of authenticity. The statistics interface uses carrier-activated data, and all five leading manufacturers review data from this company," Digital Chat Station stated.

Source: https://znews.vn/xiaomi-vuot-mat-apple-post1621319.html