Smartphone sales jump 25.2 percent

ANKARA

Smartphone sales improved sharply in the third quarter, a report said on Wednesday.

Worldwide smartphone shipments jumped 25,2 percent in the third quarter of 2014 compared with the same period of the previous year, the International Data Corporation reported. Vendor shipments jumped to 327.6 million units from 261.7 million units shipped for the same period in the previous year. Shipments are up 8.7 per cent from 301.3 million units shipped in the second quarter.

“New smartphone releases and an increased emphasis on emerging markets drove global smartphone shipments above 300 million units for the second consecutive quarter,” the report said.

"Despite rumors of a slowing market, smartphone shipments continue to see record-setting volumes," said Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

"We've finally reached a point where most developed markets are experiencing single-digit growth while emerging markets are still growing at more than 30 percent collectively,” he said.

Samsung shipped a total of 78.1 million units (23.8 percent of the market) in 2013’s third quarter, Apple 39.3 million units (12.0 percent), Xiaomi 17,3 million units (5.3 percent), Lenovo 16.9 million units (5.2 percent) and LG 16.8 million units (5.1 percent of the market).

Separately, other smartphone producers shipped a total of 159.3 million units all together.

“Samsung remained the clear leader in the worldwide smartphone market, but was the only company among the top five to see its shipment volume decline year-on-year” the report said, as tougher competition as well as “cooling demand for its high-end devices” were the main factors in the decline. Samsung's main volume drivers for the quarter were mid-range and low-end devices, the report noted, a change which means the company is seeing pressure on margins as the prices on these phones are lower.

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