Telecom
Huawei Overtakes Apple for the Second Position on Global Smartphone Market
International Data Corporation (IDC) preliminary data for Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, shows that smartphone vendors shipped a total of 342.0 million units during the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18), resulting in a 1.8% decline when compared to the 348.2 million units shipped in the second quarter of 2017.
The drop marks the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines for the global smartphone market and only the fourth quarter of decline in history.
IDC believes this is the result of churn in some highly penetrated markets, although many high growth markets still exist and should return smartphone shipments to overall growth.
The arrival of Huawei in the second position marks the first quarter since 2Q10 where Apple has not been the number one or two smartphone company in terms of market share.
Huawei delivered shipments of 54.2 million units to move into the second position with a record high market share of 15.8%.
Samsung maintained a comfortable lead, although indications from its recent 2Q18 earnings call suggest its mobile division revenues will face challenges moving forward.
Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, said “The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown,”
“It is worth noting that Apple moved into the top position each of the last two holiday quarters following its product refresh, so it’s likely we’ll see continued movement among the top ranked companies in 2018 and beyond.
“For most markets, the ultra-high end ($700+) competition is largely some combination of Apple, Samsung, and Huawei, depending on the geography, and this is unlikely to change much in the short term.
“At the same time, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo are all slowly pushing their customer base upstream at a price tier slightly lower than the top three.
“This is an area they should all watch closely as the builds in this segment are getting increasingly more advanced.”
Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, said “The combination of market saturation, increased smartphone penetration rates, and climbing ASPs continue to dampen the growth of the overall market.”
“Consumers remain willing to pay more for premium offerings in numerous markets and they now expect their device to outlast and outperform previous generations of that device which cost considerably less a few years ago.
“To contest this slowdown, vendors will need to focus on new innovative features and form factors combined with incentives and promotions to drive growth in many of these highly competitive markets moving forward.”
Highlight of smartphone companies shows that Samsung once again remained the leader in the worldwide smartphone market despite a 10.4% decline in shipments from last year.
The flagship S9/S9+, which launched late in the first quarter, witnessed slower than normal sales according to Samsung.
Samsung claims the slowdown is due to both intensified competition at the high end and an overall sluggish smartphone market.
The Korean giant will look to bolster sales in the coming weeks as we await the arrival of the new Galaxy Note 9.
The new Note will be unveiled on August 9th and is expected to launch earlier than the Note 8 to gain a foothold ahead of pending fall launches from Apple and others.
The device is expected to feature a bigger battery, new S-Pen capabilities, and increased performance.
Huawei surpassed Apple for the first time to move into the second position based on global market share.
It continues to lead the China smartphone market with a record-high market share of 27.0% in 2Q18.
In the first half of this quarter, Huawei’s P20/P20 Pro series found strong demand in the $600-$800 price segment, helping Huawei build a high profile in the market.
In the second half, with the release of its “GPU Turbo” technology, Huawei continued to earn a good reputation. 618 promotions led to strong sales for Honor models in the online channels as the Honor brand continues to be a key driver of growth for the Chinese tech giant.
Apple dropped to the third spot for the first time despite its second quarter growth.
Apple shipped 41.3 million iPhones, representing modest growth of 0.7% over the 41.0 million units shipped last year.
The iPhone continued to perform well at the high end as the iPhone X remains a top seller in many markets.
Apple will look to regain control of the market this fall with the expected launch of three next generations of iPhone models.
The new models are rumored to bring different screens sizes, price points, increased performance, and new features to the table when they arrive next quarter.
Xiaomi has pulled ahead of Samsung for the number 1 position in India over the past few quarters and has now closed the gap with Samsung in Indonesia as it ramped up its local production to address the increased demand during Ramadhan period, while also expanding its online channel presence and opening up more Mi home stores in the country.
OPPO faced a slowdown in key markets like India and most of Southeast Asia as it eased back on its aggressive marketing and sales activities in the region.
Despite this, the company still managed to grow 5.1% over last year as it continued its expansion into other markets such as the Middle East & Africa.
The recent launch of the Find X has also garnered Oppo some praise as the innovative, bezel-less and notch-less design has grabbed the attention of many.
Lebara Nigeria has become a member of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) as it expands operations in the West African country.
The membership places Lebara Nigeria within a global network of more than 1,000 mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology companies and digital service providers.
Through the GSMA, the company will have access to industry research, technical standards, policy engagement and industry initiatives.
Lebara Nigeria said the move reflects its participation in the wider telecommunications ecosystem as it develops its operations in Nigeria’s mobile market.
Nigeria’s telecommunications sector plays a central role in the country’s digital economy, with more than 170 million active mobile subscriptions supporting services such as digital payments, e-commerce, education and healthcare.
Industry analysts say participation in international bodies such as the GSMA supports knowledge sharing and the adoption of industry standards.
Lebara Nigeria said GSMA membership will support its engagement with industry developments and policy discussions in the telecommunications sector.
The company said it remains focused on operating in Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications market as demand for connectivity continues to grow.
GSM Association is the advocacy and lobbying organization for the mobile communications industry, representing more than 1,000 mobile operators as full members and a further 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem as associate members.
Management of Vitel Wireless, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has distanced the company from a fraudulent scheme operating under the name: “Vitel Shares Services.”
In an official statement, the management clarified that Vitel Wireless is not selling shares or running any investment schemes.
They warned that the operators of “Vitel Shares Services” are using unauthorised websites, mobile applications, social media promotions, and bank accounts falsely linked to Vitel Wireless to mislead the public.
The statement reads: “The attention of Vitel Wireless has been drawn to a fraudulent scheme operating under the name ‘Vitel Shares Services.’
“We wish to state clearly that Vitel Wireless has no affiliation with Vitel Shares Services, or any platform claiming to offer Vitel shares, investments, or financial products through unofficial channels.
“We do not solicit investments through agents, social media, websites, apps, or third parties. Any platform claiming to offer Vitel Wireless shares or investments outside our official channels is fraudulent and should be treated as such.
“We urge the general public to remain vigilant and verify all information through official Vitel Wireless communication channels before making any payments or sharing personal data.”
Airtel Nigeria has concluded its second Customer Forum in Abuja, bringing together a large section of customers including high-volume data subscribers, 5G customers, and key stakeholders in another landmark engagement aimed at addressing concerns around data usage, transparency, and customer experience.
The forum themed “Understanding Your Data and Taking Control 2.0.” aimed to strengthen trust in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape. The session also featured inputs from representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Delivering the Keynote remarks, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, who was represented by Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, emphasised that trust remains the most valuable currency in telecommunications, and Airtel remains committed to strengthening customer confidence through transparency and continuous engagement.
He explained that discussions around data consumption have become increasingly important as digital lifestyles evolve, with smartphones, cloud services, video streaming and emerging artificial intelligence applications significantly influencing data usage patterns.
According to him, Airtel recently introduced the Airtel Data Calculator, an innovative tool designed to help customers estimate their data needs based on online activities such as multimedia streaming, video calls, social media usage, and gaming.
“The purpose of the Airtel Data Calculator is to provide greater visibility, support informed decision-making and place more information directly in the hands of customers. Because transparency should never be viewed as a compliance exercise. Transparency is good business,” he stated.
He further reassured customers that Airtel has no incentive to shortchange subscribers through inaccurate billing, forced spending or unnecessary data depletion, stressing that the company’s growth depends on customer satisfaction, loyalty and trust.
Adeniran also highlighted Airtel’s continued investments in network infrastructure, fibre capacity, digital platforms, artificial intelligence capabilities, customer service systems and workforce development, noting that these investments are aimed at improving service quality and enhancing customer experiences.
Oladokun Oye, Director, Customer Experience, Airtel Nigeria, while welcoming participants to the event, said the forum was created to provide customers with an open platform for education, engagement and problem-solving, noting that the customer remains at the centre of Airtel’s business.
“Data has become central to everyday life, powering work, education, commerce, entertainment, healthcare and countless opportunities. As data usage grows, so too does the desire for greater visibility and understanding.
Today’s conversation is part of an ongoing journey. A journey toward greater transparency. A journey toward deeper understanding. And a journey toward a better customer experience for every Airtel subscriber,” he said.
The forum also featured practical demonstrations on data consumption management, device settings, and usage habits that impact data usage. It also included an interactive session by which Airtel teams provided clarifications and offered feedback to customers.
The Abuja event follows the successful maiden edition held earlier this year in Lagos and aligns with broader industry efforts led by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to improve consumer awareness, transparency, and confidence within the telecommunications sector.
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