The global smartphone market continues to slide in Q1 2019, IDC reports, as shipments are down by -6.6% Y-o-Y to reach 310.8 million units, marking a 6th consecutive quarter of decline.
For overall 2018, shipments dropped by -4.1% compared to 2017, and judging from Q1 2019 the rest of the year will essentially be yet another downer for pretty much all vendors. The only highlight, from a vendor perspective, is Huawei managing to grow volume and share despite market headwinds. In fact, Huawei has managed to grow so much in Q1 2019 it even managed to beat Apple!
"It is becoming increasingly clear that Huawei is laser focused on growing its stature in the world of mobile devices, with smartphones being its lead horse," the analyst says. "The overall smartphone market continues to be challenged in almost all areas, yet Huawei was able to grow shipments by 50%, not only signifying a clear number two in terms of market share but also closing the gap on the market leader Samsung. This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei, and Apple is very likely what we'll see when 2019 is all said and done."
In the vendor rankings, Samsung continues to lead even as Q1 2019 shipments are down by -8.1% Y-o-Y. The S. Korean giant did see decent sales for the Galaxy S10 series during the quarter, and plans to launch 5G SKUs in important markets, but it should also not lose focus on the arguably crucial mid-tier market if it wants to fend of Huawei.
As mentioned earlier, Huawei is now 2nd largest vendor in the world. It is the only company to see growth in Q1 2019, reaching an impressive 50.3% Y-o-Y, bringing 19% market share. Driving such results is Huawei's home China, not to mention a rounded portfolio offering products for all segments from low to high.
In comparison, the once mighty Apple struggles in Q1 2019, with shipments dropping by -30.2% Y-o-Y to 36.4m units. The iPhone marker faces a tough 2019, as the competition plans 5G phones and foldable devices, but it does retain a strong installed base and a recent agreement with Qualcomm allowing for a brighter 2020.
Xiaomi follows Apple with a Q1 2019 decline of -10.2% Y-o-Y on shipments reaching 25m despite contued movement in Europe and other regions. In 5th place are two companies, Vivo and Oppo, with 7.5% and 7.4% share respectively.
