Smartphone market grows by 45 per cent in third quarter

Global smartphone shipments grew by 45 per cent annually to reach a record 251 million units in the third quarter of 2013, according to Strategy Analytics. Samsung took a record 35 per cent share of the market, and Huawei moved up to third place, it said, adding that Smartphones accounted for six in 10 of all mobile phones shipped worldwide, driven by strong demand for LTE models in developed regions like the US and 3G devices in emerging markets such as China. 

Samsung's share was up by 2.3 per cent points from a year earlier as it grew shipments an estimated 55 per cent to 88.4 million units, whereas Apple's growth was slower, and its market share fell to 13.4 per cent from 15.6 per cent a year ago. Huawei took a 5.1 per cent share, as it grew shipments 67 per cent annually to 12.7 million units in the third quarter, it added.

LG was in fourth place, with 12.0 million smartphones good for a 4.8 per cent market share. LG was also the fastest-growing vendor among the top five brands, with shipments up by 71 per cent year-on-year. Lenovo came fifth, with 10.8 million smartphones shipped and a 4.3 per cent share of the global market.