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2025 618 First Sales Period: National and Platform Subsidies Ignite High-End Market, Accelerating Structural Upgrade

During the 2025 "618" pre-sale period, China's smartphone market showed a clear "volume and price rise" trend, with the high-end market experiencing explosive growth, becoming the main driver of overall sales.

According to Sandalwood China E-commerce Data (All Platforms), from May 15 to 21, smartphone sales through e-commerce channels grew by 76% compared to May 1 to 7, with sales revenue surging by 137%. The sales revenue growth significantly outpaced the sales volume, highlighting the accelerating shift towards a mid-to-high-end market structure.

High-End Price Segments See Significant Growth, With the Market Above 5,000 RMB as the Biggest Highlight

Breaking down by price segment, the sales growth in high-end and ultra-high-end products priced above 5,000 RMB has been particularly remarkable:

• The 5,000–6,000 RMB segment saw a 171% sales increase driven by subsidies.
• The 6,000–8,000 RMB range experienced explosive growth, surging by 454%.
• The 8,000–10,000 RMB price segment grew by 168% year-on-year.
• Even ultra-high-end products priced above 10,000 RMB achieved an 86% growth, despite constraints in both price and production capacity.

These figures reflect that, under the influence of multiple discounts and brand strategies, the consumption potential of the high-end market has been rapidly activated. Consumer demand for high-quality products remains strong, forming a clear structural growth wave.

Flagship Products Lead the Charge, with the Pro Series Showing Exceptional Performance

From the perspective of brands and product lines, flagship models have become the core driving force of this promotion. Huawei's Mate and Pura series, as well as Xiaomi’s digital series, continue to grow steadily, further solidifying their high-end positioning. Apple's iPhone Pro series saw explosive sales, with the Pro Max model growing by 467%.

At the same time, a range of flagship products with premium configurations but relatively affordable prices also performed strongly. Models like iQOO's digital series, Redmi K, OPPO Find X, and Find N saw over 100% growth in sales, quickly capturing market share in the mid-to-high-end segment due to their high cost-performance ratio.

High-End Flagships Become the Main Force in Phone Upgrades, with 7-9 Month Models Growing Nearly Twofold

In terms of product release cycles, flagship models released within 7-9 months saw a 179% sales surge during the first sale period, becoming the key driver of the phone replacement wave. These models excel in performance, features, and brand marketing resources, and combined with 618 promotion discounts, further stimulated consumer purchasing intentions. Models released within 4-6 months also achieved a 53% growth with the support of subsidies, together forming the main camp for phone upgrades in the early part of the promotion period.

User Preferences Shift Towards Larger Memory and Storage, Becoming the Mainstream Trend

The consumption upgrade is not only reflected in price levels but also in a shift in user preferences for configurations. Moving from “adequate” to “better,” consumers are becoming more demanding about performance:

• 12GB and 16GB memory models grew by 50% and 15%, respectively.
• 256GB storage became the most mainstream configuration, growing by 108%.
• Larger capacity models, such as 512GB and 1TB, also saw growth of 42% and 51%, respectively.

These trends indicate that users are increasingly inclined to choose devices with stronger performance and larger capacities when upgrading, aiming to enhance their usage experience and extend the device's lifecycle.

Conclusion:
The 2025 618 first-sale period not only sparked a wave of phone upgrades but also significantly accelerated the shift of the Chinese smartphone market towards higher-value segments. While subsidies and policies played a strong role in "igniting" the market, the core factor driving the structural upgrade is the concentrated demand from consumers for quality and performance, as well as the brands' ongoing ability to supply high-end products and technological advancements.

It is foreseeable that the Chinese smartphone market will experience more intense and deeper competition in the high-end segment. This 618 event undoubtedly marks a pivotal turning point and a key milestone in the market's structural transformation.