Samsung wins and Apple loses on the smartphone market in the second quarter of this year

The smartphone market saw a drop in shipments for the seventh consecutive quarter, according to another report by market research company IHS Markit. Global shipments fell 331.2 million units in the second quarter, down 3.6% from the same period last year.

Huawei's ban came into effect in the middle of the quarter and so has not yet been totally affected. Up to now, the company seems to have weathered the storm well with 58.7 million units. The Chinese company offset the decline in sales in foreign markets with a strong performance in its home country.

Samsung was the world's leading smartphone maker with a 23% market share in the second quarter of this year. It shipped 75.1 million units, an increase of 6% over the same period last year, and appears to be gaining market share in Europe and South America, where Huawei is facing this ban.

Apple, meanwhile, recorded a 14.6% drop in shipments after the success of only 35.3 million units of iPhone in the second quarter of this year. The company has intensified its promotional efforts, but is not bearing fruit. Analysts attribute this drop to current model prices and to Apple's refusal to offer a significant discount on older models.

Oppo has managed to outperform Apple and is currently ranked third. The company is focused on expanding its efforts in Europe and India. As operators launch their 5G networks across Europe, Oppo is offering some of the first 5G-enabled smartphones and taking the opportunity to strengthen its relationships with these operators.

Xiaomi is focusing on expanding in Europe as well as India, one of the first companies to sell 5G phones in Europe. In addition to Xiaomi and Oppo, European operators also offer Samsung 5G and OnePlus phones. The losers of the 5G race on the old continent are Huawei, which has been hit by the ban, and LG, which has seen a sharp drop in total shipments of its smartphones.