Chinese major phone maker Honor, a former Huawei subsidiary, secured the top spot in smartphone sales in China during the third quarter, with a market share of 18.3%, based on Counterpoint Research’s report (in Chinese) released on Thursday.

Prominent business intelligence firms such as IDC and Canalys corroborated Honor’s upward trajectory in their most recent data reports disclosed this week.

“Both Honor and Xiaomi are focused on offering more affordable mid-range products to retailers and consumers to counter potential downward pressure in the market. The results indicate that this strategy is highly effective,” said Counterpoint Research analyst Alicia Gong.

Meanwhile, competitors Vivo and Oppo clinched second and third places, cornering 17.8% and 16.0% of the market, respectively, during the same period, per Counterpoint’s findings. Apple was positioned fourth on the list, securing a 14.2% market share.

The report underscored Huawei’s substantial 37% year-on-year growth in sales for the third quarter of 2023 in China, attributing the success to its innovative Mate 60 series, which features its self-developed Kirin 9000S processor.