Smartphone sales up again, Samsung leads Apple, others

Research from a trio of analyst companies reported another quarter of growth for the global smartphone market on improving consumer sentiment, with the addition of new features across price points tipped to fuel further increases.

Provisional IDC shipment figures for Q2 pinned year-on-year growth at 6.5 per cent to 285.4 million units, while Counterpoint Research reported sell-through volumes at 6 per cent without giving a total number.

Rival Canalys placed the smartphones shipped at 288 million, up 12 per cent.

All three had Samsung at the head of the market with around a 20 per cent share, followed by Apple on between 16 per cent and 17 per cent depending on the analyst house. Xiaomi and Vivo took third and fourth place, respectively across the board.

Oppo rounded out the top five in IDC and Counterpoint Research’s numbers, while Tecno parent Transsion took fifth in the Canalys report.

Counterpoint Research director Tarun Pathak said the latest quarter of growth was the third in a row, adding “sales were at the lowest point in a decade in 2023, but the market was quick to rebound thanks to improving consumer sentiments and inventory positions”.

Looking forward to the rest of the year Pathak noted “increased proliferation of several features such as colour material finish, high-megapixel cameras and 5G into lower price bands” was expected to fuel demand.

IDC reported although the latest increase “builds the momentum towards the expected recovery this year, demand has yet to come around in full and remains challenged in many markets”.

Its research director Will Wong added “the second quarter is more like a prelude before more genAI smartphones are launched in the second half of the year, which will potentially be the next growth driver after 5G and foldables”.

The second quarter is more like a prelude before more genAI smartphones are launched in the second half of the year

IDC expects smartphones sporting genAI features to account for 19 per cent of the total market in 2024, with 234 million shipments expected.

Canalys research manager Amber Liu highlighted building market optimism “fuelled by innovative technologies like genAI and recovering demand from the mass market”.

“Since early 2024, easing inflation in emerging markets across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America has stimulated shipment growth in the mass-market price segment,” she added.

“Companies, including Xiaomi and Transsion, are actively promoting product upgrades to capitalise on these opportunities. Meanwhile, Honor, Oppo and Vivo are focusing their expansion outside mainland China this year as competition in the domestic market is heating up.”

BY CHRIS DONKIN, Mobile World Live