Huawei outperforms Samsung for the first time in the smartphone market

Source: Omid Armin

After almost ten years of Samsung's leadership in the smartphone market, Huawei managed to snatch this first place from the world during the second quarter of 2020.

Samsung's leadership in the smartphone market practically the last decade has come to an end after Huawei took away its first position during the second quarter of 2020.

This is clear from the data published by the consulting firm Canalys, according to which, it marks the first quarter in nine years that a company other than Samsung or Apple has led the market.

During the months of April to June, Huawei shipped 55.8 million smartphones, 5% less than the previous year. But the second-place Samsung sold 53.7 million devices, representing a drop of 30% compared to the second quarter of 2019.

These figures show that the first position reached by Huawei has not been due to its great growth but rather that it has been less affected than its main competitor, Samsung, by the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on sales in this market segment.

An exceptional situation

For Canalys, Huawei is still subject to restrictions from the United States government, and its shipments abroad have fallen by 27%, so another point that has played in its favor in these results is its strength in the Chinese market, where their sales have grown 8%.

As Ben Stanton, a senior analyst at Canalys, points out, this is a result that very few would have predicted a year ago.

If it wasn't for COVID-19, it wouldn't have happened. Huawei has taken full advantage of China's economic recovery to revive its smartphone business. Samsung has a very small presence in China, with less than 1% market share, and has seen its major markets, such as Brazil, India, the United States and Europe, devastated by outbreaks and subsequent blockades.

However, for the consultancy, it will be difficult for Huawei to maintain its leadership in the long term. Its main channel partners in key regions, such as Europe, are increasingly wary of the scope of the firm's devices, and the strength in China alone will not be enough to keep it on top once the global economy begins to recover.