China’s smartphone market likely posted its first increase in three years in 2024, with shipments in the first 11 months rising 4.9 per cent to 262 million units, data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed.

Shipments of 5G handsets grew 12 per cent year-on-year to 241 million units, accounting for 92 per cent of the total.

The increase came despite non-domestic vendors shipping 22 per cent fewer units at 42 million, CAICT data showed.

It does not disclose overseas brands, but Apple accounts for the vast majority of non-domestic shipments.

Total smartphone shipments in November, however, fell 5.6 per cent to 28.2 million units.

Data from IDC showed the country’s smartphone market dropped 5 per cent in 2023 to 271.3 million units and 13.2 per cent in 2022 to 285.5 million.

Shipments in those years fell below the 300 million mark for the first time since 2012.

In October 2024, IDC forecast a “positive growth trajectory to continue into the fourth quarter”, but stated shipments were unlikely to top 300 million for the full year.