Smartphone Market Dipped Slightly in Q2

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Smartphone vendors followed a strong start to 2017 with a slight decline in the second quarter (Q2), according to IDC’s latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker findings.

The world’s device makers shipped 341.6 million smartphones in Q2, a 1.3 percent year-over-year decline and a 0.8 percent drop compared to the previous quarter. Notably, the world’s top five smartphone vendors managed to avoid shedding any market share. In fact, each registered positive growth.

Nestled comfortably in the top spot with over 23 percent of the market, Samsung shipped 79.8 million units last quarter, a 1.4 percent annual increase. Second place Apple shipped 41 million iPhones, a 1.5-percent jump.

Third place belongs to Huawei with 38.5 million units shipped and less than a percentage point separating the fast-growing Chinese smartphone maker (11.3 percent) and Apple (12 percent). OPPO took fourth place with nearly 28 million units and Xiaomi rounds out the top five with over 21 million units, a year-over-year increase of nearly 59 percent. Collectively, the remaining players shipped 133.4 million smartphones in Q2, a 16-percent drop.

In the meantime, the industry is bracing for some high-profile launches later this year.

smartphone market

“Despite some key launches in the second quarter from some well-known players, all eyes will be on the ultra-high-end flagships set to arrive this fall,” said IDC research manager Anthony Scarsella, in a statement. “With devices like the iPhone 8, Pixel 2, Note 8, and V30 in the pipeline, the competition will be fierce come September. We expect all the key players to promote their latest and greatest flagships with an assortment of deals, bundles, and trade-in offers across a variety of channels in most key markets.”

Few devices are generating as much buzz as the forthcoming iPhone 8 and Note 8.

Apple’s 10th anniversary edition of the iconic smartphone is expected to shatter records. Various leaks point to an OLED screen with an integrated home button that spans nearly the entire front surface of the phone.

Meanwhile, Samsung is gearing up for the Galaxy Note 8 launch after the Galaxy S8’s successful debut earlier this year. A lot is riding on the Galaxy Note 8. If it is well-received by technology buyers, and more importantly deemed safe, it may help the South Korean electronics giant finally close the book on last year’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Datamation. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.