[ad_1]
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer company, said during the presentation of the P30 series smartphone at a launch event in Paris.
Marlene Awaad | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple and Samsung have announced a slowdown in smartphone sales in the first quarter of this year, but Chinese tech giant Huawei is countering the trend.
Huawei's smartphone shipments rose 50% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, while Apple's iPhone shipments fell by 30%, according to new data released Tuesday by the IDC research firm. Samsung shipments fell 8% year-on-year.
The new figures show that Huawei conquers 19% of the global smartphone market, its highest percentage of all time. According to IDC, the Chinese firm is "now in the grasp of Samsung" at the top of the global market, far surpassing Apple as the world's second largest seller of smartphones.
"This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei and Apple is very likely what we will see when 2019 is over," said IDC Vice President, Ryan Reith, in the report.
Huawei for the first time overtook Apple in market share in 2018, but the first quarter figures show a much larger gap between the two technology giants than previously announced. IDC attributed Huawei's growth to a "well-balanced portfolio, targeting all segments, from bottom to top".
Apple's iPhone sales were affected by weak demand in China and by longer replacement cycles. Apple CEO Tim Cook was optimistic in his assessment of the Chinese market on Tuesday, but the company still announced a 22% decline in revenue in the region for its March quarter.
The separate data released Tuesday by the research firm Canalys show that Huawei conquers 34% of the Chinese smartphone market, an increase in shipments of 41% over the previous year. The company said Huawei has gained traction with Chinese consumers by increasing investment in physical stores and further penetrating Chinese rural areas.
Huawei's consumer businesses have seen impressive growth, particularly in its premium smartphone business, despite the increased global scrutiny of the company. US officials advised Americans not to use Huawei's products or services and lobbied their allies to ban the company's 5G telecom equipment, saying the technology could jeopardize Chinese spying.
Huawei has repeatedly denied that he would engage in any form of espionage or provide data to the Chinese government. Some experts, skeptical about these assurances, mention the Chinese laws that would require companies to help the country to collect information if Beijing asks.
In a note released Tuesday, counterpoint analyst Shobhit Srivastava said that Huawei's growth in the smartphone market was particularly notable, as it does not have a significant presence in the United States. its innovations, "added that it was the first company to introduce features such as reverse wireless charging.
[ad_2]
Source link