Smartphone sales have been on a downward trend over the past two years as consumers have become more likely to upgrade devices or take extra care of them to make them last longer. However, a new report from data analytics firm Strategy Analytics shows that global smartphone sales grew by 2% this quarter compared to last year.
Sales increased from 359.8 million total sales worldwide in Q3 2018 to 366.3 million sales in Q3 2019. Linda Sui, Director of Strategy Analytics, believes this increase is due to strong competitive pricing and customers opting for larger screens and 5G Internet.
The growth this quarter came primarily from Samsung and Huawei, with Samsung's sales increasing by 8% year-on-year and Huawei's sales increasing by 29% year-on-year. Samsung achieved this with the launch of the "Galaxy NOTE 10" smartphone, and Huawei exceeded current levels by exporting to North America.
In Apple, sales fell 3% in the last year. However, Strategy Analytics believes Apple is starting to stabilize thanks to cheaper iPhone 11 pricing and increased demand across Asia and the United States.
Other brands that make significant sales are Xiamoi which sells mainly in India and China.
