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Signs of Recovery in Global Smartphone Market While Samsung led the market with 21% share, Realme emerged as the fastest growing brand, jumping to seventh spot
T
he global smartphone market
India and China, the two top-focus markets
markets such as Europe, Latin America and
remained almost flat during
for every player in the mobile value chain. In
Middle East due to the lack of shipping new
Q3 2019, reaching 380
India, smartphone OEMs started preparing
models with Google services gives a window
million units in shipments,
early for the festive Diwali season this year
of opportunity especially Samsung, Xiaomi
as compared to 379.8 million units in Q3
with healthy channel buildups. In China,
and others to capture share away.”
2018. In terms of brands, Huawei, Realme
Huawei, Oppo and Vivo (HOV) continued
“Huawei, though will have to be careful
and Samsung registered positive growth,
to see healthy channel demand ahead of
of the inventory levels in domestic market
increasing their market share globally.
National Day Golden Week holiday break
as the market could quickly transition to
Stronger demand in India and China in
in October which led the market to grow
the upcoming 5G wave which could affect
September helped the global smartphone
a positive 6% sequentially. This along
its market share in coming quarters,”
market to halt the seven-month streak of
with upcoming holiday season in the
Pathak added.
year-on-year (YoY) declines.
next quarter, should drive up the overall
Peter Richardson, Research Director at
Commenting on the smartphone market
smartphone demand into a positive growth
Counterpoint, while commenting on the
recovery, Shobhit Srivastava, Research
territory for the second half of this year
5G progress, highlighted, “The 5G rollouts
Analyst at Counterpoint Research, noted,
compared to the last year.”
from both networks and devices over the
“The global smartphone market ended a
Huawei continued to defy the market
past twelve months have been faster than
long period of continuous YoY declines in
decline with a 4% increase in market share
the 4G era, and we expect the rollouts to
Q3 2019 due to increased shipments in
globally.
further accelerate going into 2020. 5G
Talking about Huawei’s continued
smartphones already accounted for 2%
growth, Tarun Pathak, Associate Director
of the market in Q3 2019, growing over
at Counterpoint Research, said,
200% sequentially. China has already
“The US trade ban on Huawei
commenced rolling out the 5G networks
did not affect the overall
and the massive market scale it brings for
brand’s shipments and
the entire industry will make 2020 the
growth in Q3 2019 after
breakout year for 5G. This should catalyze
the uncertainties in June.
the slowing smartphone volume demand
Huawei’s strategy to
over the past couple of years and certainly
supplement its decline
continue to boost the upward trend in the
in overseas market share
overall smartphone Average-Selling-Price
with domestic push
(ASP).”
paid off handsomely. The rising sense of
Key Takeaways:
nationalism towards
• The top three brands, Samsung, Huawei
Huawei amidst US-
and Apple, together cornered almost
China trade war coupled
half of the smartphone market, with
with aggressive go-to-market
the rest of the market left for hundreds
strategy in China helped Huawei
44 | december 2019
of other brands to compete fiercely.
boost mindshare and marketshare
• Samsung continued its growth at
domestically. Outside China, the
8.4% YoY, capturing over one-fifth of
widening gap being created in overseas
the global smartphone market. This
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