Smartphone sales showed no signs of slowing down in Q2 2014. According to market research firm IDC, global shipments hit a new single quarter record with 295.3 million units leaving factories over the quarter. Not only did shipments grow 2.6% over Q1, they also grew 23.1% over the same quarter a year ago.
“A record second quarter proves that the smartphone market has plenty of opportunity and momentum,” said Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “Right now we have more than a dozen vendors that are capable of landing in the top 5 next quarter. A handful of these companies are currently operating in a single country, but no one should mistake that for complacency – they all recognize the opportunity that lies outside their home turf.”
While Samsung and Apple remain the two largest smartphone manufacturers, their leadership is increasingly under threat. With smartphone demand primarily being driven by emerging markets and demand for low-cost smartphones, Chinese manufacturers are coming on fast. Huawei, for example, nearly doubled its shipments from a year ago.
While Samsung and Apple remained at the top, both saw their market share drop (Samsung by more than 7% despite shipping 74.3 million smartphones). Huawei in third was followed by Lenovo and LG.
| Vendor | 2Q14 Shipment Volume | 2Q14 Market Share | 2Q13 Shipment Volume | 2Q13 Market Share | 2Q14/2Q13 Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Samsung | 74.3 | 25.2% | 77.3 | 32.30% | -3.9% |
| 2. Apple | 35.1 | 11.9% | 31.2 | 13% | 12.40% |
| 3. Huawei | 20.3 | 6.9% | 10.4 | 4.3% | 95.10% |
| 4. Lenovo | 15.8 | 5.4% | 11.4 | 4.7% | 38.70% |
| 5. LG | 14.5 | 4.9% | 12.1 | 5% | 19.80% |
| Others | 135.3 | 45.80% | 97.5 | 40.6% | 38.70% |
| Total | 295.3 | 100% | 240 | 100% | 23.10% |
The future also looks rosy: IDC expects that smartphone shipments will top 300 million in Q3. It singles out Apple, suggesting that the company could have “a drought or a flood,” depending on when it launches its next generation of smartphones, the much rumoured 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and larger 5.5-inch phablet.
Source : IDC