Huawei’s Mate 80 series is selling fast enough to keep the company ahead of Apple in China, with 6.49 million units shipped by the 22nd week of 2026. That’s close to 7 million for a flagship line that added about 200,000 units in a single week, helping Huawei lead the Chinese smartphone rankings with 20.7% of the market, while Apple sits second at 19.4%.
The timing is awkward for Apple and excellent for Huawei. The iPhone 17 family is also performing strongly, but in China that has not been enough to overtake Huawei’s momentum, which is being powered by a broad premium lineup rather than one hit model alone.
Mate 80 sales are nearing 7 million
RDObservation’s latest figures show the Mate 80 series at 6.49 million units by week 22, up from 6.29 million by week 20. The math is simple: demand is still climbing, and Huawei is converting that into market share rather than letting the momentum leak away.
- Mate 80 shipments: 6.49 million units
- Week 20 shipments: 6.29 million units
- Weekly increase: almost 200,000 units
- Huawei market share: 20.7%
- Apple market share: 19.4%
Apple’s iPhone 17 is strong, but not strong enough
Apple’s latest lineup is still pulling serious weight in China, which matters because the market has become more competitive, not less. But Huawei is doing the more dangerous thing for rivals: stacking multiple products that attract attention, from the Mate 80 to the Nova 15, with Pura 90, Pura X Max, and Nova 16 also getting traction.
That breadth is a classic Huawei move. If one premium phone becomes a status pick and another midrange line keeps traffic flowing, the company gets a sturdier base than a single launch cycle can provide.
Huawei’s line-up is doing the heavy lifting
The bigger story is not just that the Mate 80 is hot; it’s that Huawei has turned a flagship into a market-share engine. In a market where Apple can still post impressive numbers and still come second, Huawei’s current lead suggests Chinese buyers are rewarding domestic brands with a deeper product ladder and a sharper premium pitch.
If the current pace holds, the next question is how long Apple can rely on the iPhone 17’s strength before Huawei’s broader portfolio makes the gap harder to close. For now, Huawei has the cleaner answer: sell fast, sell across categories, and keep the top spot.