Despite the global pandemic and continued sanctions from the US Government, Chinese company Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer.
Huawei shipped 55.8 million units in the second quarter of 2020 which put them ahead of Samsung for the first time after it shipped 54.3 million units.
The global pandemic has had a huge impact on the worldwide smartphone market with a 15.7 per cent decline in the number of units shipped year on year.
For most manufacturers, Q2 saw even more negative growth.
But Apple was the only company that bucked that trend and actually expanded its shipments by 13.1 per cent off the back of the iPhone SE release and continued support for the iPhone 11.
Huawei’s shipments only declined by 4.9 per cent while Samsung saw a decline of 27.7 per cent year on year according to figures from Omdia.
This has seen Samsung’s shipments drop from 75 million units down to 54.3 units in the second quarter of 2020.
Huawei has taken advantage of its home country’s recovery from the coronavirus which was the leading factor for it gaining the top spot over Samsung which doesn’t enjoy strong support in China.
Apple shipped 39.9 million units in Q2 2020 – up from 35.3 million units in the same quarter in 2019.
“With the launch of the iPhone SE in April, Apple has released a long-desired product, with an attractive price,” said Jusy Hong, director of smartphone research at Omdia.
“The launch added a new iPhone model into Apple’s product mix just as lockdown restrictions had reached important markets, such as the United States.
“A $US399 starting price point makes the iPhone SE an attractive new device, especially in the face of continued economic uncertainty in many markets.
“For existing iPhone users who needed to upgrade their smartphones in the second quarter, the new SE represented an affordable option that does not require a large down payment or high monthly repayment rates.”
Huawei has been battling a black ban from the US Government with their latest smartphones denied access to the latest Android operating systems.
But the company continues to release impressive devices including the Huawei Mate XS folding phone and the P40 Pro.