Global smartphone shipments grew 2 per cent year-on-year in Q3, bucking two years of decline, with Huawei making the greatest gains with a 29 per cent jump, data from Strategy Analytics revealed.

This is the first time the smartphone market has grown since Q3 2017. Strategy Analytics stated: “Worldwide demand for smartphones is recovering, due to strong pricing competition among vendors and new innovations such as larger screens and 5G connectivity.”

Shipments exceeded 366 million units, up from 360 million in Q3 2018.

Vendor breakdown
Samsung maintained pole position, shipping 78.2 million units, up 8 per cent. Strategy Analytics put this down to strong sales of the Galaxy Note 10 and mid-range A Series.

Chinese vendor Huawei shipped 66.7 million, up from 51.8 million and boosting its market share from 14.4 per cent to 18.2 per cent. The company surged in its domestic market, offsetting uncertainty in western regions where scrutiny has affected smartphone launch plans.

Apple’s shipments declined 3 per cent to 45.6 million, but despite the drop the quarter was its “best growth performance since” 2018, with the company “stabilising, due to cheaper iPhone 11 pricing and healthier demand across Asia and the US”.

Maintaining fourth spot was Xiaomi, but shipments declined 2 per cent to 32.3 million units. The vendor is losing ground in China and India due to fierce competition from Huawei and Realme.

Number five player Oppo shipped 29.4 million units, down from 31.2 million. Strategy Analytics said the company is expanding “hard into Western Europe,” with new models such as the Reno 5G launched, but is now “coming under severe pressure at home in China from a resurgent Huawei”.