Samsung Maintains No.1 Sales by Expanding Budget and Mid-Premium Lineups
2019 Sales Reach 296.19 Million Units, Up 1.15 Million from Previous Year
Apple Rises to 2nd Place in Q4, Surpassing Huawei with iPhone 11 Price Cut Effect
Samsung Electronics unveiled its strategic smartphone for the second half of the year, the 'Galaxy Note10.' On the 8th, visitors at Samsung Electronics' Taepyeongno Main Store in Seoul were trying out the Galaxy Note10. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Samsung Electronics achieved the highest smartphone sales volume last year. The strategy targeting cost-conscious consumers, ranging from mid-to-low-end smartphones like the Galaxy A series to the quasi-premium Galaxy S10 Lite, proved successful.
According to market research firm Gartner on the 3rd (local time), Samsung Electronics sold 296.19 million smartphones in 2019, maintaining the top position with a market share of 19.2%. Following Samsung were ▲2nd Huawei (240.61 million units) ▲3rd Apple (193.47 million units) ▲4th Xiaomi (126.04 million units) ▲5th Oppo (118.69 million units).
The top seller in the fourth quarter was Samsung Electronics (70.4 million units), followed by Apple (69.55 million units). Next were Huawei (58.3 million units), Xiaomi (32.44 million units), and Oppo (30.45 million units). Total smartphone sales in the fourth quarter were 406.63 million units, a 0.5% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Samsung Electronics maintained its number one sales position by reorganizing its mid-to-low-end smartphone lineup. In addition to the A series and M series, Samsung strengthened its mid-range smartphone lineup by releasing quasi-premium models such as the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note10 Lite. Samsung's smartphone sales in 2019 reached 296.19 million units, falling short of the 300 million mark but increasing by 1.15 million units (0.39%) compared to the previous year (295.04 million units).
Huawei achieved the highest growth rate with an 18.6% increase in sales in 2019. However, due to the US trade dispute, Huawei lost the second place to Apple in the fourth quarter. Apple lowered the price of the iPhone 11 compared to its predecessor and also reduced prices of previous generation models, resulting in a 7.8% increase in iPhone sales in the fourth quarter. Apple saw significant success in Europe, South America, and India, with iPhone sales in China increasing by 39% in the fourth quarter. Xiaomi achieved results in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region with its 'Redmi' models.
Anette Zimmermann, Vice President of Gartner, stated, "Although the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is expected to negatively impact smartphone demand in China in the first quarter, there is no anticipated decrease in demand in the global smartphone market." She added, "This year, the battle between Samsung and Huawei in the foldable phone market will attract even greater attention."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
