Huawei’s HarmonyOS Surpasses Apple’s iOS in Market Share in China

For the first time in Chinese history, Huawei’s HarmonyOS has surpassed Apple’s iOS in market share. According to data from Counterpoint Research, HarmonyOS saw a significant increase in market share, rising from 8% in the first quarter of 2023 to 17% in the same period of 2024. On the other hand, iOS saw a decrease from 20% to 16%, both still below the dominant Android system, which holds 68% of the market.

This shift marks a turning point for Huawei and its ability to compete with Apple in China. Counterpoint Research attributes this success to Huawei’s launch of new smartphones compatible with 5G networks and equipped with HarmonyOS. These devices directly compete with Apple’s devices and have allowed Huawei to gain ground on iOS.

Huawei is not stopping there, as it also became the leading manufacturer of tablet sales in China in the last quarter of 2023, surpassing Apple for the first time. The company’s rotating president, Ken Hu, stated that Huawei had overcome challenges after being affected by sanctions from Washington in 2019, which led to a ban on Google services, including access to the Android operating system.

As a result of these sanctions, Huawei developed its own operating system, HarmonyOS, as an alternative for its devices. The success of HarmonyOS in both smartphones and tablets reflects Huawei’s resilience and ability to adapt to challenges in the tech industry. With more competition from Android and other manufacturers like Samsung and Xiaomi, it will be interesting to see how HarmonyOS fares in future market share reports.