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Honor has kept smartphone price increases relatively limited in China, as most competing brands raise prices across multiple market segments amid rising memory costs and mounting pressure on profit margins.

Honor Stands Apart Amid Industry-Wide Price Increases

Price increases have spread across China's smartphone market, extending beyond flagship devices to nearly every price segment. Huawei CEO Richard Yu attributed the increases to higher memory costs, which he said add more than $200 to the cost of each phone, while noting that the company's profit margins have declined sharply.

According to an analysis by Ivan L., China Smartphone Research Lead, nearly every newly launched flagship smartphone this year has seen a price increase of around $200, with Honor emerging as an exception to the broader trend.

Rising Production Costs Put Pressure on Smartphone Prices

China's consumer price inflation remains close to 1%, suggesting that consumers may have limited appetite for further price increases.

Against this backdrop, Honor's approach of keeping price adjustments relatively small stands out, particularly as several competing brands have raised prices by as much as ¥2,000 on certain models.

Honor Records Smaller Price Increases Than Competitors

The price of the Honor Magic9 Pro Max increased from ¥5,699 to ¥6,499, representing an increase of ¥800. Meanwhile, the Honor Magic9 rose from ¥4,499 to ¥4,999, an increase of ¥500.

By comparison, several competing smartphones recorded larger price increases, according to the figures provided:

- Xiaomi 18 Pro Max: Increased from ¥5,999 to ¥7,999, up ¥2,000.

- iQOO 16: Increased from ¥4,199 to ¥5,999, up ¥1,800.

- Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max: Increased from ¥7,999 to ¥9,499, up ¥1,500.

- OPPO Find X10 Pro Max: Increased from ¥5,299 to ¥6,799, up ¥1,500.

- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Increased from ¥9,999 to ¥10,999, up ¥1,000.

- Honor Magic9 Pro Max: Increased from ¥5,699 to ¥6,499, up ¥800.

- Honor Magic9: Increased from ¥4,499 to ¥4,999, up ¥500.

- REDMI K100 Pro Max: Increased from ¥3,999 to ¥4,499, up ¥500.

Huawei Raises Nova 16 Series Prices for a Second Time

Separately, Huawei increased prices across its Nova 16 series effective midnight on October 9–10, marking its second round of price increases since September 1.

The Nova 16 and Nova 16 Pro each received a ¥400 price increase, while the Nova 16 SE rose by ¥200. As a result, the starting price of the Nova 16 now stands at ¥3,399.

These developments highlight the growing pricing pressures facing China's smartphone market as rising component costs prompt manufacturers to adjust their pricing strategies, while Honor seeks to keep its increases comparatively modest.