Global Smartphone Shipments Have Grown By 38.8% in Q3 of 2013 [IDC]

The latest data from International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that global smartphone shipments for the third quarter of 2013, have grown 38.8% as compared to Q3 2012. The total number of smartphones shipped in the third quarter was 258.4 million, beating the previous record high of 237 million smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2013.

samsung

China now accounts for more than a third of all shipments, making it one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets. Prices for smartphones have also declined, largely because of low-cost Android products, IDC said. “Android…has been a huge factor in their success,” IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said, while noting that Android vendors are also challenged to show how their phones differ from one another. Looking at individual vendors, Samsung shipped more smartphones than the next four vendors combined, shipping 81.2 million smartphones (31.4% of the total) in the third quarter. Apple was second with 33.8 million (13.1%); Huawei was third with 12.5 million (4.8%); Lenovo was fourth with 12.3 million (4.7%) and LG was fourth with 12.0 million (4.6%).

“Beyond Samsung and Apple at the top of the rankings is a tight race of vendors trying to break out from the pack,” says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team. “In 3Q13, Chinese vendors Huawei and Lenovo moved past LG, and not far behind are two more Chinese companies, Coolpad and ZTE. Any of these vendors could change position again next quarter. But in addition to having close shipment volumes, they all have one key ingredient in common: Android. This has been a huge factor in their success, but it also speaks to the challenges of differentiation on the world’s most popular platform.”

“With already strong growth in 3Q13 and multiple vendors launching flagship models, the market will be poised to reach one billion units for the year.

Below are some interesting top 5 smartphone vendor highlights form IDC:

  • Samsung easily maintained its leadership position, with more carriers adding the Galaxy S4, continued demand for the Galaxy S III, and the introduction of the Galaxy Note 3.
  • Apple‘s total volumes speak to the early success of the iPhones 5S and 5C, and the softening demand of older devices prior to the new models launching. The iPhone 5S lived up to the hype of the gold case and the fingerprint sensor, and the iPhone 5C with an array of colors. At the same time, limited usability on the fingerprint sensor and higher-than-expected pricing on the iPhone 5C drew mixed reactions. Still, this did not prevent Apple from enjoying a record 9 million units shipped in their debut.
  • Huawei returned to the list of top five vendors after a one-quarter hiatus, narrowly beating out Lenovo and LG. In fact, less than a million units separate Huawei from the next two vendors.
  • Lenovo posted the largest year-over-year increase among the leading vendors, enough to push past LG to claim the number four position worldwide. The company relied on its stronghold in Asia/Pacific, and particularly China
  • LG slipped to fifth place, but nevertheless posted strong double-digit year-over-year smartphone growth (72.2%). Key to its success was the launch of the Optimus G2 and a continued strong reception for the Optimus G and the Optimus G Pro.

Fore more information, head over to full report.

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