ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
Global smartphone shipments grew 10 per cent annually to reach 354.2 million in Q3 which, according to Strategy Analytics, was the industry’s slowest growth since the “depths of the global economic recession” back in 2009.
The reason cited was “increasing penetration maturity or economic wobbles” in major markets like the US, Europe and China.
On the positive side, Samsung’s smartphone shipments were up 6 per cent to 83.8 million, returning to positive growth for the first time in over a year. The company leads the way with 23.7 per cent global market share, although this was down from 24.5 per cent in the prior year as its growth did not match that of the market.
The growth was driven by “select price cuts and new models like the Galaxy Note 5, A8 and J5”.
Apple shipped 48 million smartphones worldwide and captured 13.6 per cent market share in Q3 2015, rising from 12 percent in Q3 2014.
Strategy Analytics noted that China and the US accounted for 48 per cent of overall global iPhone shipments, while China alone took around 23 per cent, growing “an impressive” 120 per cent year-on-year.
However, both revenue and volume growth slowed for Apple, due to seasonality and mid-range consumers holding off purchases in anticipation of iPhone 6S and 6s Plus models.
Strong Huawei growth
Meanwhile, Huawei maintained third position with 7.5 per cent global smartphone market share in Q3 2015, up from 5 per cent a year ago.
Huawei is expanding rapidly across Asia, Europe and the US, putting pressure on rivals such as Lenovo-Motorola and Xiaomi, the report observed.
In annual growth terms, Huawei was the quarter’s top performer, rising 62 per cent year-on-year, due to demand for Android models like the P8 Lite.
TCL-Alcatel declined for the first time ever and “is in trouble, as the firm recorded its first ever decline in the smartphone market, due to attacks from Huawei,” Strategy Analytics said.
Lenovo-Motorola was in fourth place with 5.3 per cent market share, but its shipment growth rate declined 23 per cent annually.
Xiaomi fell to fifth place with 5 per cent share and its shipment growth rate declined 1 per cent annually.
“Both Lenovo-Motorola and Xiaomi are struggling to make headway in the fast-growing 4G smartphone market and they are being punished by a bullish Huawei and a resurgent Samsung,” Strategy Analytics said.
Microsoft fell 46 per cent year-on-year due to a lack of new model launches, while Micromax grew by half as it continued to make gains across India with low-cost Androids.