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Huawei Dethrones Xiaomi in China

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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The world's largest mobile market — that would be China, not the U.S. — has a new leader: Huawei.

According to research firm Canalys, Huawei made a huge jump in the third quarter of 2015, overtaking rival Xiaomi to become the No. 1 smartphone vendor in China, a first for the company.

The Mate S maker rose to first place with 81 percent year-on-year shipment growth in Q3, following a strong showing the previous quarter as well. Xiaomi, meanwhile, didn't have such a great quarter, logging a decrease in shipments from last year as it struggled to maintain its high growth.

Jessie Ding, a research analyst based in Canalys' Shanghai office, called Huawei's climb to the top a "remarkable feat, especially in the context of an increasingly cutthroat and maturing Chinese smartphone market." But she added that Xiaomi may be focusing elsewhere.

"Xiaomi, with its worldwide target of 80 million smartphone shipments for 2015, is under tremendous pressure to keep growing as an international player as it is slowing down in its key home market," Ding said.

Things were better for Xiaomi in China last year. The company dethroned Samsung in Q2 2014 to become the leading vendor in the country. At the time, Xiaomi was the fifth largest smartphone vendor in the world — something analysts called a "phenomenal achievement."

News about Huawei's rise comes after the company recently beat Apple to Force Touch with its Mate S, which was our favorite phone of IFA. The company also this year released its Android Wear-powered Huawei Watch.

For more, see Can Huawei and ZTE Conquer the U.S.?

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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