According to IDC, global smartphone shipments are up by 0.8% Y-o-Y (or 8.1% Q-o-Q) in Q3 2019 to 358.3 million units-- a reversal of 7 consecutive quarters of decline, and "enough" to bring the industry to positive growth.
However the growth drivers are primarily India, the leader of the emerging markets, and China. The most populous nation on Earth sees more consolidation towards the top 5 brands, and all said brands are currently preparing for "Singles' Day", or 11.11, the Chinese equivalent of Black Friday for shopping in the US and, increasingly, Europe.
"The market returning to positive growth shows the resilience of this industry as well as the ongoing demand for mobile phones, all in the face of many global macroeconomic challenges," the analyst adds. "The number of factors in play for competition are incredible. It is clear Huawei continues to make big gains in China, which remains the world's largest market. Apple beat many expectations and is driving strong volumes in mature markets that face equally challenging headwinds. And most importantly, the top 5 OEMs accounted for more than 70% of the world's smartphone shipments for the first time ever this quarter. The industry and vendor landscape is still changing but the trend of consolidation is ramping along with it."
Samsung still leads the Q3 2019 vendor rankings, and the August launch of the Galaxy Note 10 brings 8.3% Y-o-Y growth. Shipments for the S. Korean giant total 78.2m units, with the lower-end to midrange A series helping fill the gaps left by Huawei. Speaking of Huawei, the Chinese company comes 2nd as it shifts focus on the domestic market, leading to 28.2% Y-o-Y growth on shipments reaching 66.6m units.
In 3rd place is Apple, with iPhone shipments dropping by by a slight -0.6% Y-o-Y to 46.6m. Such results are still better than expectations, and newer iPhones such as the 11s and XR managed to capture strong share in the important W. European and US markets. Xiaomi comes 4th as it faces pressure from the mighty Huawei in China, as does 5th placing Oppo. As such, it should come as no surprise both companies are focusing attentions on the Indian market.
