Global Smartphone Market Declines Once Again

Global smartphone sales during the July-September period have witnessed an 8% decrease compared to the same period last year, as reported in the latest study by Counterpoint.

This decline is primarily attributed to a slowdown in consumer demand. However, the market did experience a modest 2% growth in Q3 compared to the previous quarter, likely boosted by the launch of the iPhone 15 series in the preceding month.

Samsung maintained its position as the leading global smartphone manufacturer, capturing an estimated 20% share of the market in Q3. The South Korean brand’s Galaxy A-series played a pivotal role in this achievement.

Apple secured the second spot with a 16% market share, while Xiaomi rounded out the top three with a 12% share. The remaining positions in the top five were occupied by Oppo (10%) and vivo (8%).

Honor, Huawei, and Transsion Group (comprising Tecno, Infinix, and itel) were the sole brands to achieve positive year-on-year growth in Q3. In contrast, all of the top five major brands, except for Apple, encountered double-digit declines over the course of the year.

Analysts at Counterpoint anticipate that the momentum observed in September will continue into the fourth quarter, with robust demand expected to conclude the year on a high note during the holiday season.

It also remains to be seen how Xiaomi and Samsung’s numbers will be affected once their next flagship phones hit the global market next year. The Xiaomi 14 is likely to reach the international market before the Samsung Galaxy S24. We will keep you updated in any case.