The world's largest mobile market — that would be China, not the U.S. — has a new leader: Huawei.

According to research firm Canalys, Huawei made a huge jump in the third quarter of 2015, overtaking rival Xiaomi to become the No. 1 smartphone vendor in China, a first for the company.

The Mate S maker rose to first place with 81 percent year-on-year shipment growth in Q3, following a strong showing the previous quarter as well. Xiaomi, meanwhile, didn't have such a great quarter, logging a decrease in shipments from last year as it struggled to maintain its high growth.

Jessie Ding, a research analyst based in Canalys' Shanghai office, called Huawei's climb to the top a "remarkable feat, especially in the context of an increasingly cutthroat and maturing Chinese smartphone market." But she added that Xiaomi may be focusing elsewhere.

"Xiaomi, with its worldwide target of 80 million smartphone shipments for 2015, is under tremendous pressure to keep growing as an international player as it is slowing down in its key home market," Ding said.

Things were better for Xiaomi in China last year. The company dethroned Samsung in Q2 2014 to become the leading vendor in the country. At the time, Xiaomi was the fifth largest smartphone vendor in the world — something analysts called a "phenomenal achievement."

Related Hands On With the Huawei Mate S

News about Huawei's rise comes after the company recently beat Apple to Force Touch with its Mate S, which was our favorite phone of IFA. The company also this year released its Android Wear-powered Huawei Watch.

For more, see Can Huawei and ZTE Conquer the U.S.?

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