Huawei cemented its lead in China’s smartphone market in Q2, shipping 19.1 million units, its largest quarterly total ever –  and just behind Samsung’s record of 19.2 million in Q4 2013.

The vendor boosted its market share slightly in the mainland from the previous quarter to just over 16 per cent and is starting to pull away from international rivals Apple and Samsung, according to Canalys.

Oppo and Vivo took second and third place, with both shipping more than 15 million units during the quarter. Oppo is focusing on the premium market, and its strategy of selling via physical retail stores continues to pay off, the research firm said. Vivo is concentrating on its core markets in tier-three and four cities.

Xiaomi’s shipments fell nearly 20 per cent year-on-year as it struggled to expand its open channels and deliver a blockbuster flagship handset.

Apple held onto fifth place, ahead of Samsung, with a 9 per cent market share. The iPhone SE has done little to increase overall shipment numbers in China, Canalys said.

China’s smartphone market has cooled over the past year, with the market becoming increasingly saturated and driven mostly by demand for replacements.

Growth is forecast at about 2 per cent this year.

Huawei said yesterday it shipped 60.56 million smartphones globally in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 25 per cent.