Key smartphone vendors have eyes on the smartphone horizon, most notably Microsoft who continue to fight for mobile supremacy against industry rivals Apple and Samsung.
Following results from mobile analyst firm Juniper Research, the number of smartphone shipments reached 342.5 million in Q3 2015, with a slowed y-o-y growth of 8.4 percent.
Unsurprisingly, Apple posted another record-breaking quarter, with 48 million unit sales, compared to 39 million iPhones sold in Q3 2014.
“Apple is increasingly turning to China for this growth - with over $12 billion in revenue coming from the Far East, and continued investment in the form of new stores and developer support,” the report states.
“Whilst the appetite for Apple products is expected to remain strong in China, future expansion may be tempered somewhat by the slower economic growth expected in the market.”
Amidst a crowded global market, Juniper claims Samsung is beginning to “turn its mobile unit around”, with increased unit shipments and a 37 percent y-o-y increase in profitability.
“This bolsters gains made by the company’s semiconductor business, which is one of the most productive divisions for the company,” the report adds.
In addition, Xiaomi sold an estimated 18.4 million smartphones, with the slowdown in China exacerbating the company’s troubles in the international market.
As a result, this meant that Huawei was the best performing Chinese vendor of the quarter, shipping 27.4 million devices, up 63 percent on shipments for this period last year.
Eyes on the Horizon
Apple is not the only smartphone vendor with its eyes on the future; despite a 32 percent y-o-y decline in shipments, Sony has announced plans to open a new smartphone factory in Thailand.
According to Juniper, this will start production in fiscal 2016, putting to rest rumours that the CEO was preparing to axe the division.
A similarly sharp sales drop from Microsoft is being blamed on an ‘updated strategy’: this is a reference to the shift away from devices onto a more platform-based business model.
The 54 percent revenue decline is matched by a 38 percent y-o-y decline in unit sales, representing 5.8 million shipments for Q3.
Meanwhile, LG has posted their first ever Q3 y-o-y decline in smartphone sales along with a drop in profits from both declining sales and unfavourable exchange rates.
BlackBerry sales continue to dip ahead of its Android launch, with sales estimated to have dropped below 1 million devices for the first time since 2005 while Asus’ smartphone presence is steadily growing, with an estimated 6 million units shipped this quarter.
