Global Smartphone Shipments Exceeded 290M In Q2 2014, Samsung & Apple Market Share Falls

• Samsung shipped an estimated 75m smartphones; 26% market share in Q2-2014
• Apple posts record Q2; iPhone sales reached 35.2m
• Record quarter for LG and Huawei; shipped 14.5m and 20m smartphones respectively.

Leading mobile analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached over 290 million in Q2 2014, representing 26% y-o-y growth and 2% q-o-q growth. Both Apple and Samsung witnessed a decline in their global market share as other vendors including Huawei, LG and Lenovo made gains at their expense.

Samsung accounted for 26% of all smartphone shipments globally, with an estimated 75 million shipments during the quarter. While the company’s market share declined y-o-y and q-o-q, shipment volume were estimated to be up 4% when compared to Q2 2013. The company does not disclose shipment numbers.

Apple posted its best ever second quarter, shipping over 35 million iPhones, representing a y-o-y growth of 13%. However, Apple’s market share slipped from 15% in Q1 2014 to 12% in Q2 2014.  A significant proportion of iPhone sales came from emerging markets, recording 55% y-o-y growth in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

Huawei & Lenovo Gains

• Huawei sold some 34.3 million smartphones in H1 2014, with the second quarter shipments reaching 20 million representing a market share of nearly 7%. The company is expected to meet its full-year target of 80 million smartphones.
• Lenovo is estimated to have shipped 15.6 million smartphones for the second quarter, representing an increased market share of 5.5%.
• LG meanwhile shipped a record 14.5 million smartphones in the second quarter, representing a 20% y-o-y growth and 5% market share.

Emergence of the Emerging Markets
The growth in economies of scale, innovation and the ‘trickle-down’ effect of technology opened up the market to a far wider variety of low-end, lower-priced smartphones which, in turn, facilitated their entry into emerging/developing markets. Juniper anticipates that emerging nations in Far East & China, Indian Subcontinent, Latin America and Africa & Middle East will account for over 50% of the global smartphones shipped this year.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.