CHINA BRIEF| Huawei sells 28.7 million smartphones in Q1 in China, up 6% amid industry downturn

Shenzhen-based technology giant Huawei sold 28.7 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2020, up by 6% year-on-year (YoY) while all vendors sold a total of 73.2 million smartphones, down by 22% yearly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong-headquartered market research firm Counterpoint told KrASIA on Thursday.

Vivo sold 13.5 million units in the first three months, down by 27% YoY while Oppo delivered 12.6 million units, down by 30%. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) sold 7.2 millon iPhones, down by 1% YoY while Xiaomi (HKG: 1810) sold 6.7 million, including Redmi models, down by 35%.

However, the entire performance of the smartphone sector in China in the first quarter appeared less negative than Counterpoint’s original expectation due to strong supports from e-commerce players such as Alibaba and JD.com, said Flora Tang, analyst with the research firm.

This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.