Chinese Brands and Apple Propel Global Smartphone Shipment Growth for Fifth Consecutive Quarter
Chinese Android brands and Apple drive global smartphone shipment growth in Q3. Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo show significant shipment increases, contributing to market resilience. Apple's iPhone 16 series and strong demand for older models boost its market share.
Data from industry analysts revealed that worldwide smartphone shipments increased by 4 per cent, surpassing 316 million units. This growth marked the fifth consecutive quarter of expansion despite prevailing economic challenges, as reported by research firm IDC.
Xiaomi, holding the third position, saw its smartphone shipments rise by over 3 per cent to 42.8 million units, securing more than 13 per cent of the global market. Oppo, in fourth place, shipped 28.8 million smartphones, a nearly 6 per cent increase year on year. Vivo, ranking fifth, experienced the fastest growth, surging by almost 23 per cent to 27 million units.
The remarkable performance of Vivo was attributed to aggressive product launches and a favourable comparison base from the previous year, according to Will Wong, senior research manager for client devices at IDC Asia-Pacific. Wong highlighted the resilience of the smartphone market, particularly driven by the robust growth of Chinese vendors like Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Huawei Technologies, despite global economic challenges.
Apple, a US tech giant, maintained its second-place position amidst escalating competition in China from local brands like Huawei. iPhone shipments grew by 3.5 per cent to 56 million units in the September quarter, resulting in a market share of just under 18 per cent, as per IDC data. The demand for older iPhone models and the launch of the new iPhone 16 series significantly benefited Apple, noted Nabila Popal, research director for worldwide client devices at IDC.
While the delayed introduction of the on-device artificial intelligence platform in the iPhone 16 series impacted initial enthusiasm in China, analysts anticipate a sales boost later in the year, coinciding with the Western holiday season. Runar Bjørhovde, an analyst at consultancy Canalys, highlighted Apple's strong performance in the third quarter, positioning the company closer to leading the global smartphone market than ever before.
Samsung Electronics, the South Korean tech giant, was the only top-five vendor to witness a decline in shipments, with 57.8 million smartphones shipped from July to September, down 2.8 per cent from the previous year, according to IDC. Canalys reported a 5 per cent growth in the global smartphone market, driven by demand in emerging economies and an early replacement cycle in North America, China, and Europe.
Chinese Android brands and Apple drive global smartphone shipment growth in Q3.
Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo show significant shipment increases, contributing to market resilience.
Apple's iPhone 16 series and strong demand for older models boost its market share.
Source: SCMP