China 3C Electronics Market Exceeded CN¥ 1.1 Trillion in 2025

Executive Summary

China's 3C electronics market --- Computers, Communications, and Consumer Electronics --- reached a landmark in 2025, with total sales exceeding CN¥ 1.1 trillion across 3.47 billion units sold. Revenue grew +18.5% year-on-year (YoY), even as volume declined -1.9%, signalling a decisive market shift toward consumption upgrading. National subsidy policies for mid-to-high-end electronics, rising storage costs in PC and smartphone industries, and AI integration across the ecosystem combined to push average selling prices higher while concentrating market share among stronger brands.

Smartphones Lead, But Emerging Categories Steal the Growth Spotlight

Smartphones remained the undisputed revenue leader at CN¥ 471.5 billion (+20.0% YoY), accounting for approximately 43% of total 3C sales. Laptops followed at CN¥ 134.9 billion (+13.7% YoY). However, the most dynamic growth occurred in categories where AI integration and lifestyle changes converged.

Electronic Education devices surged +43.3% YoY --- the fastest revenue growth of any major category --- driven by AI-powered learning tablets. Digital Cameras followed at +36.4% YoY, fuelled by DJI and Insta360's lightweight shooting devices and the content creation boom. Computer Hardware and Peripherals grew +25.9% YoY in revenue despite only +1.7% volume growth, reflecting GPU demand and AI computing requirements that inflated average prices significantly.

Electronic education and digital cameras show the fastest growth among 3C categories

The divergence between revenue and volume growth tells the real story. DIY Computers saw revenue climb +18.1% while volume collapsed -40.2%, indicating a dramatic shift toward pre-built systems and premium components. Similarly, Audio & Video Appliances grew +10.6% in revenue but declined -4.4% in volume --- consumers are choosing premium audio equipment over budget alternatives. The pattern is consistent across the market: fewer units, higher value.

Power Banks: How a Safety Crisis Transformed an Entire Category

The power bank market experienced the most dramatic transformation of any 3C sub-category in 2025. ROMOSS power bank spontaneous combustion incidents in H1 2025 triggered a cascade of regulatory action. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) banned non-3C-certified power banks from flights in June. The China National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) issued mandatory "CCC Implementation Rules for Power Banks" effective 15 August 2025.

The results were immediate and decisive. Full-year 2025 sales of 3C-certified power banks reached CN¥ 4.84 billion (+1,563.3% YoY), with volume surging to 38.115 million units (+1,935.7% YoY). By H2 2025, certified products commanded 89.1% market share, up from 50.4% in H2 2024.

ROMOSS entered 2025 as the market leader with 13.5% share. After its 3C certification was suspended on 21 June, its share plummeted to 2.4% in June and reached zero by December. Baseus (倍思) and Xiaomi (小米) consolidated their top positions, while brands like WOPOW surged +486.3% YoY and CukTech grew +110.2% YoY^[1].

AI Toys: From Niche Gadget to Mainstream Market

AI toys emerged as the breakout story of 2025, with sales reaching CN¥ 740 million (+427.4% YoY) and market penetration rising from 0.2% to 4.3%. The growth accelerated dramatically from March 2025, when monthly sales tripled to CN¥ 46.2 million. By May, monthly revenue hit CN¥ 99.2 million with 202,137 units sold.

Three sub-categories developed distinct trajectories. AI Educational Toys led in absolute revenue at CN¥ 290 million (+639.8% YoY), driven by photo-learning machines and interactive learning tablets. AI Trendy Toys became the growth dark horse at CN¥ 180 million (+1,465.9% YoY), powered by plush AI companions focused on emotional healing. AI Robots generated CN¥ 220 million (+181.5% YoY) but lost market share as premium prices limited mass adoption --- their share dropped from 61.3% to 32.5%.

The price structure inverted within a single year. In 2024, the CN¥ 3,000+ segment dominated at 49-68% of monthly sales. By H2 2025, the under-CN¥ 500 segment frequently exceeded 50%, and average selling price declined from over CN¥ 1,000 to CN¥ 372 by September. Haivivi leads the market at CN¥ 124.6 million with its "AI + IP + Emotional Companionship" strategy, while Luka Doctor's photo-learning machine approach achieved extraordinary growth from a small base^[2].

What This Means for Brands and Investors

The 2025 data points to four strategic imperatives:

• Regulatory compliance as competitive moat --- the power bank story demonstrates that certification infrastructure creates disproportionate advantage during regulatory transitions
• AI integration is no longer optional --- it is the primary growth driver across multiple categories
• Emotional value and scenario-based design are outperforming pure specification competition
• Consumption upgrading means volume decline does not equal market contraction --- revenue and margin opportunities are growing

For the complete analysis with 23 charts, brand rankings, consumer sentiment data, and forward-looking projections, download the full report.

About the Data

This analysis is based on proprietary e-commerce data from Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察), covering major Chinese e-commerce platforms from January 2024 through December 2025. Brand growth rates reflect full-year online sales across Tmall, Taobao, JD.com, and Douyin.