"Smartphone manufacturers sold a total of 310.8 million units in the first quarter of 2019, down for the sixth consecutive quarter," said analyst firm IDC in its quarterly report. 2019 will be a new year of recession for smartphone sales around the world. As reported in a previous IDC report, the smartphone market is experiencing the biggest drop in its history.
Huawei confirms its number 2 position in the smartphone market
In a market at half mast, only Huawei manages to pull out of the game. The Chinese underdog is even the "only manufacturer to grow sales." During the quarter, it sold 59.1 million smartphones. It is a little less than in the fourth quarter of 2018 (60.5 million) but it is especially much more than a year ago. By early 2018, Chinese had sold only 39.3 million phones. Thanks to these excellent sales figures, Huawei holds up to 19% of the world market share, against only 11.8% at the same period last year.
"Huawei has continued with a well-balanced portfolio, targeting all segments, from the lowest to the highest," says IDC. This is the 3rd quarter where Huawei manages to overtake Apple. The manufacturer had already taken the place of number 2 in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2018. Driven by the iPhone XS, Apple had managed to take second place in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Apple sold only 36.4 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2019
Not surprisingly, Huawei is benefiting from the decline in iPhone sales. During this quarter, sales were down 30.2% from early 2018. Apple sold only 36.4 million iPhones. The Californian firm therefore holds only 11.7% of market share, against 15.7% in early 2018.
"The iPhone has struggled to conquer consumers in most major markets. The price declines in China throughout the quarter, as well as favorable trade-offs in many markets, were still not enough to encourage consumers to switch models, "says IDC. According to the firm, iPhone sales will continue to dive for the rest of the year, especially because of the emergence of 5G. Apple lags behind the question. The first compatible iPhone will land by the year 2020 at the earliest.
Huawei narrows the sales gap with Samsung
Despite the rapid growth of Huawei, Samsung is currently the world number 1 in the market. Like its rival Apple, the South Korean group has recorded a decline in sales. The manufacturer sold only 71.9 million smartphones during the quarter, down 8.1% from last year. As expected, Samsung could not enjoy the arrival of the Galaxy S10, whose output was much too late.
"The results have been enough to keep Samsung leading the market, but Huawei continues to narrow the gap between the two leaders in the smartphone market," says IDC. Samsung still holds a 23.5 percent share of the global market, only a few points away from its Chinese rival. Will Huawei dethrone Samsung by 2020 as promised by Richard Yu, CEO of the group? Can Apple take the second longest place in the market?
