Global smartphone shipments grew 21 per cent year-on-year in the 2015 first quarter, with Samsung overtaking Apple to recapture the title of the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.A total of 345 million units shipped in the 2015 first quarter, up from 285 million units year-on-year, Strategy found.
On an annualised basis, however, growth slowed from 33 per cent to 21 per cent during the past year, which Strategy attributed to increasing penetration maturity in the major markets of the US, Europe and China.
While Samsung shipped 83.2 million smartphones, capturing 24.1 per cent of the market in the first quarter, this was down on its 31.2 per cent share a year earlier.
“Samsung continued to face challenges in Asia and elsewhere, but its global performance has stabilised sufficiently well this quarter to overtake Apple and recapture first position as the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume,” Strategy stated.
Apple shipped 61.2 million smartphones, capturing 17.7 per cent of the market, which represented a rise from 15.3 per cent year-on-year, with Strategy noting “Apple’s new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models remain wildly popular in China and worldwide, as consumers upgrade to larger-screen phablets for enhanced data experiences”.
Lenovo-Motorola maintained its position in third place, shipping 18.8 million smartphones and capturing a 5.4 per cent share of the market, however its market share slipped from 6.9 per cent a year ago.
Rounding out the top four, Huawei shipped 17.3 million smartphones and captured a 5 per cent market share, up from 4.7 per cent in last year’s corresponding period.
