China's Huawei Technologies snatched the title of biggest smartphone seller from Samsung Electronics in the second quarter, underscoring the Chinese market's resilience even as global demand for phones plunged amid the pandemic.

Huawei shipped 55.8 million devices in the April-June period, trumping Samsung's 53.7 million, according to data from research firm Canalys.

The latest numbers show its rising dominance in its home market.

Huawei now sells nearly two-thirds of its handsets in China, which took an early hit from the coronavirus pandemic, but it has since regained ground as new cases dwindle. Smartphone makers dominant in other countries are still struggling as new virus cases continue to rise.

Huawei's sales fell 5 percent from the same quarter a year earlier, while South Korea's Samsung posted a 30 percent drop due to weak demand in key markets, including Brazil, the United States and Europe.

"Our business has demonstrated exceptional resilience in these difficult times," a Huawei spokesman said.

Domestic sales rose 8 percent, but Huawei's overseas shipments fell 27 percent in the quarter.

(Cover image: People wearing face masks visit Huawei's new flagship store, which officially reopened in Shanghai following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, China, June 24, 2020. /Reuters)