According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, the global smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2018 fell 6% year-on-year to 376 million units. Global smartphone shipments fell by 5% in 2018, the first full-year decline in the smartphone industry. In the last quarter of 2018, Samsung maintained its first position with 18% of the global smartphone market share, Apple’s iPhone ranked second, and Huawei ranked third. Strategy Analytics Director Linda Sui said: “Global smartphone shipments fell 6% year-on-year, from 407 million units in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 376 million units in the fourth quarter of 2018. Due to longer changes, the global smartphone market has fallen for five consecutive quarters due to lack of eye-catching models and the economic downturn. Global smartphone shipments have dropped 5% from the 1.51 billion units in 2017 to 1.43 billion units in 2018. This is the first time in the history of the global smartphone market that has seen a year-round decline – a milestone .”
Neil Mawston, executive director of Strategy Analytics, added: “Samsung’s global smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2018 was 69.3 million units, down from 74.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2017. Samsung is still the world’s leading smartphone supplier, despite fierce competition from Apple, Huawei and other companies in core markets such as India, Europe, and the US. Apple’s global shipments in the fourth quarter of 2017 were 77.30 million units. In the fourth quarter of 2018, it was 65.9 million units, down 15% year-on-year. In the fourth quarter of 2018, iPhone accounted for 18% of the global smartphone market share, down from 19% a year ago. Apple suffered in China. The huge losses, which have lowered its global performance. Market demand for the new iPhone XR, XS and XS Max models is lower than expected .”
Woody Oh, Director of Strategy Analytics, added: “Huawei is still the world’s third-largest smartphone supplier, with a market share of 16% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Huawei’s global smartphone shipments for the full year of 2018 has increased by 35% to a record 205.8 million units. Huawei is now pushing Apple, which shipped 206.3 million units last year. Huawei is catching up with the iPhone on a large scale, and we expect Huawei to surpass Apple for the first time in 2019. “
