Icom vs Xiegu:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Icom had more branded searches than Xiegu among ham radio brands worldwide. Icom had about 15,300 branded searches, while Xiegu had 4,400. Icom made up 7.7% of all ham radio brand searches we track, and Xiegu accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about ham radio brands, Xiegu appeared in two of the five answers and Icom in one. Icom and Xiegu were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Icom, about 3 searches for every 1 for Xiegu
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.
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Top ham radio brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Xiegu was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Icom was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Icom and Xiegu were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Baofeng5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Yaesu4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kenwood3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
AnyTone2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Xiegu2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Icom1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Radioddity1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
TIDRADIO1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
FlexRadio1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Elecraft1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about ham radio brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best ham radio for beginners?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which handheld ham radio should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best amateur radio brands?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ham radio”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“handheld ham radio”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Icom or Xiegu more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Icom and Xiegu by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 ham radio brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Icom, Xiegu. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Baofeng | Yaesu | Icom | Radioddity | BTECH | TIDRADIO | FlexRadio | Quansheng | AnyTone | Elecraft | Xiegu | Kenwood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47% | 16% | 8% | 5.9% | 1.6% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.2% | 15.9% | 7.4% | 7.1% | 1.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.3% | 16% | 7.4% | 5.8% | 2.4% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.9% | 14.2% | 7.1% | 5.2% | 3% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 48.8% | 13.8% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 2.1% | 5% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.6% | 15.5% | 7.8% | 7% | 2.8% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.4% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 6% | 3.1% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 43.8% | 14.7% | 9% | 6.6% | 2.3% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.6% | 15.6% | 8.8% | 5.7% | 2.2% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.3% | 13.1% | 9% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.4% | 14.8% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 3% | 2% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.5% | 13.7% | 7.7% | 6.1% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.3% |
How has the Icom and Xiegu comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Icom was ahead of Xiegu in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Icom’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide moved from 8% to 7.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.5K to 15.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xiegu’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide moved from 1.4% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 4.4K.
How did search popularity change for ham radio brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Icom lost share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide, from 8.4% to 7.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Xiegu worldwide rose 51.7% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 4.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Icom’s and Xiegu’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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