Boston, MA - July 30, 2015 - According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew just 15 percent annually to reach 340 million units in the second quarter of 2015. It was the smartphone industry’s slowest growth rate for six years. Apple and Huawei bucked the trend and grew rapidly to gain several points of marketshare in the quarter.
The associated report is published here.
Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global smartphone shipments grew just 15 percent annually from 295.0 million units in Q2 2014 to 339.5 million in Q2 2015. This quarter was the smartphone industry’s slowest growth rate for six years, since the depths of the global economic recession back in Q3 2009. Smartphone growth is slowing due to increasing penetration maturity in major markets of the US, Europe and China. Smartphones will need a design transformation to revitalize growth in the future, such as foldable or rollable displays.”
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Samsung shipped 71.9 million smartphones worldwide and captured 21 percent marketshare in Q2 2015, dipping from 25 percent a year earlier. Samsung faced intense competition from Chinese brands in the low-end smartphone market, while the company underestimated demand for its popular S6 edge flagship model in the high-end. Apple shipped 47.5 million smartphones worldwide and captured 14 percent marketshare in Q2 2015, rising from 12 percent in Q2 2014. Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models remained wildly popular in China and worldwide, as consumers upgraded to larger-screen phablets for enhanced usability.”
Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Huawei moved up to third position with a record 9 percent global smartphone marketshare in Q2 2015. Huawei is expanding rapidly across Asia, Europe and North America, putting competitive pressure on key rivals such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, LG, Sony and Alcatel. Xiaomi recaptured fourth position with 6 percent global smartphone marketshare in Q2 2015, nudging ahead of Lenovo-Motorola in fifth place with 5 percent share. Xiaomi has good distribution channels and competitive pricing in its large home market of China, enabling it to stay in front of Lenovo-Motorola who is struggling with the transition from 3G to 4G smartphones in China and the United States.”
Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments and Marketshare in Q2 2015
| Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments (Millions of Units) | Q2 '14 | Q2 '15 |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | 74.5 | 71.9 |
| Apple | 35.2 | 47.5 |
| Huawei | 20.1 | 30.5 |
| Xiaomi | 15.1 | 19.8 |
| Lenovo-Motorola | 23.8 | 16.2 |
| Others | 126.3 | 153.6 |
| Total | 295 | 339.5 |
| Global Smartphone Vendor Marketshare (%) | Q2 '14 | Q2 '15 |
| Samsung | 25.30% | 21.20% |
| Apple | 11.90% | 14.00% |
| Huawei | 6.80% | 9.00% |
| Xiaomi | 5.10% | 5.80% |
| Lenovo-Motorola | 8.10% | 4.80% |
| Others | 42.80% | 45.20% |
| Total | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Total Growth: Year-over-Year (%) | 26.60% | 15.10% |
Source: Strategy Analytics
Email Newsletters
Sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos, plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox.
