The global smartphone market grew by just 1.4% last quarter according to Gartner, which estimated 389 million total smartphone shipments in Q3 2018. Much of the year-over-year growth came from Huawei, which shipped 52 million phones and edged out Apple (with 45.7 million shipments) for the second quarter in a row. Fellow Chinese firms Xiaomi (33.2 million shipments) and Oppo (30.6 million shipments) also posted strong growth.
Samsung, meanwhile, remains the leading smartphone vendor with 73.4 million units shipped last quarter, but that’s down from 85.6 million units in Q3 2017. The company is hoping to fend off its new Chinese rivals by bringing more cutting-edge features to mid-range phones, while also betting on new high-end tech such as foldable screens and more cameras.
As for Apple, the company’s peak smartphone plan includes selling pricier hardware (like the $1,100-and-up iPhone XS Max) and extracting more money from services. Along that line, Apple will no longer share device sales numbers in its quarterly earnings reports, starting with the next one.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
