Leading mobile analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached 338 million in Q2 2015, representing a y-o-y growth of 16%.
China’s Growth Engine Shifts Down a Gear
The global smartphone market continued to mature this quarter, and the gap between winners and losers grew larger. While the launch of the P8 helped Huawei to nearly 50% y-o-y growth, Xiaomi, its nearest rival, shipped 20.5 million, representing an increase of a third compared to this time last year.
Juniper notes that the key difference between Huawei and Xiaomi is that Huawei is currently making an effort to expand beyond Asia. Xiaomi is not, leaving it vulnerable to the slowing of the Chinese market, which is also affecting ZTE.
Samsung Has a Critical Turnaround, But Few Sales
Samsung shipments have continued to decline, although the company reported a more profitable product mix this quarter. The launch for the S6 and S6 Edge, expected to ship between 60 and 70 million by the end of 2015, was blunted by reports of delays in components. As a result, the company has not been able to ship the volumes it anticipated and will be ‘adjusting the price’ of the devices to boost sales ahead of new high-end model launches expected in Q3.
Apple Defies Trends as Other Vendors Struggle
- Apple’s record-breaking streak with the iPhone continues, with 47.5 million unit sales fuelled by growth in China, with y‑o-y revenues for the region increasing 112% to over $13 billion.
- LG posted 14.1 million shipments, representing a y-o-y decline of just under 3%.
- Microsoft is steadily increasing shipments in the lead up to Windows 10 for phones, shipping 8.4 million devices, a 12% increase over last year.
- BlackBerry’s decline continued, with shipments just above the 1 million mark as the release schedule is slashed from 4 phones a year to 1 or 2.
The Smartphone Quarterly Report gets under the skin of the latest market developments, analyses their implications, and forecasts how they will affect the overall market size. For further insights go to the Juniper Research website.
