Huawei, Lenovo boost standing in global smartphone market
Huawei,Lenovo post hefty quarterly gains in global smartphone market share on backof strong local demand before transition to 4G
Mainland hi-tech heavyweights Huawei Technologies and Lenovo have each chalked up hefty gains in the global smartphone market in the three months to June, leading the industry to a record total shipment of 295.3 million units during the quarter.
Huawei, the world's second-biggest telecommunications equipment supplier, saw nearly a twofold increase in smartphone shipments to 20.3 million units, up from 10.4 million a year earlier, for a 6.9 per cent market share, according to preliminary data from research firm IDC.
Personal computer market leader Lenovo followed with smartphone shipments that grew 38.7 per cent last quarter to 15.8 million units, up from 11.4 million the previous year, for a 5.4 per cent global market share.
IDC analysts pointed out that Huawei and Lenovo benefited from strong demand in their home market, where the central government aims to accelerate the expansion of 4G mobile services, and from rising international sales, especially to emerging markets.
"As the death of the [basic] feature phone approaches more rapidly than before, it is the Chinese vendors that are ready to usher emerging market consumers into smartphones," said Melissa Chau, a senior research manager at IDC.
Samsung Electronics remained the No1 smartphone supplier globally, but it was the only one among the top five-ranked companies to post no growth last quarter. Its shipments decreased 3.9 per cent year on year to 74.3 million units.
Lenovo chairman and chief executive Yang Yuanqing earlier predicted that the computer maker's global smartphone market sales would further improve, after completing later this year its US$2.91 billion takeover of Google's Motorola Mobility business.
Ricky Lai, a research analyst at Guotai Junan International, said: "Global smartphone shipments this year will be driven by the low-end and mid-priced model segments of the market, where many Chinese vendors are very competitive."
The mainland, which is the world's biggest market for smartphones, would likely see greater subsidies offered by the three domestic telecommunications network operators on low and mid-priced 4G handsets, enticing more 2G and 3G mobile users to upgrade, Lai said.
He added that ZTE and Xiaomi were the other leading domestic smartphone suppliers expected to see escalating international sales during this year.