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343.3 million units were shipped in three months to 30 June, says IDC; Apple’s market share slips.
Global smartphone shipments were flat in the second quarter, according to IDC, with China’s Huawei closing in on Apple’s number two spot.
The research firm said on Thursday that 343.3 million smartphones were shipped in the three months to 30 June, compared to 342.4 million a year earlier. Volumes were up 3.1% on the first quarter of the year, when 333.1 million smartphones were shipped.
Samsung still leads the way, with shipments growing to 77 million units from 73 million, good enough for a 22.4% share of the overall market. Second-placed Apple lost ground on its South Korean rival, as Q2 iPhone volumes slipped to 40.4 million from 47.5 million, leaving it with a market share of 11.8%.
China’s Huawei is now closing in on the number two spot, its market share grew to 9.4% on shipments of 32.1 million, compared to last year when its market share was 8.6% on shipments of 29.6 million.
"For Apple, the second quarter is seasonally its lowest of the year as consumers hold off on purchases in anticipation of the next big launch in the third quarter," said IDC, in a statement on Thursday.
Despite a positive start from Apple’s mid-range iPhone SE, Q2 2016 represented the company’s lowest quarterly smartphone volume in seven quarters, according to IDC.
"With Huawei number one in China at the moment, Huawei’s remaining challenge will once again be penetrating the U.S. market at the high-end to compete with both Samsung and Apple," the research firm said.
