Huawei became China’s top smart phone vendor in Q3 2015, while Xiaomi fell to second place, according to Canalys estimates. This is Huawei’s first time at the top of China’s competitive smart phone market. The company powered its way to first place with 81% year-on-year shipment growth, extending its strong performance in the previous quarter. In contrast, Xiaomi’s shipments shrank year on year as it struggled to sustain its high growth.

"Huawei’s ascent to China’s smart phone throne is a remarkable feat, especially in the context of an increasingly cutthroat and maturing Chinese smart phone market," said Jessie Ding, a Research Analyst based in Canalys’ Shanghai office. "On the other hand, Xiaomi, with its worldwide target of 80 million smart phone shipments for 2015, is under tremendous pressure to keep growing as an international player as it is slowing down in its key home market."

Huawei has won praise for a few new smartphones this year, including the P8 and the Mate S. China is the world’s biggest smartphone market - almost 100 million phones shipped there in the first quarter - but its growth started to slow this year for the first time in six years.

Canalys will publish its full country-level smart phone estimates and market analysis to clients at the end of October.