INDUSTRY BRIEF: China smartphone shipments sink 4% in second quarter

Smartphone shipments in China fell 4% in the second quarter, ending six consecutive quarters of growth, as the effects of government subsidies started to fade and manufacturers cleared out inventory, according to IDC data released on Tuesday. Smartphone shipments for the three-month period totaled 69 million units, down from 71.8 million a year earlier.

Among the market’s top five brands, four recorded falling shipments during the quarter. The lone exception was Xiaomi (1810.HK), whose shipments rose 3.4% year-on-year, making it the fourth-largest player during the quarter with 15.1% of the market.

Huawei led the market during the quarter with 18.1% share, though its shipments dropped 3.4% year-on-year. Vivo was the second-largest player with 17.3% of the market, though its quarterly shipments dropped 10.1% year-on-year. Oppo was the third largest player with 15.5% of the market, while Apple was fifth with 9.6%.

Despite the weakness in China, the global smartphone market grew 1% in the second quarter, with 295.2 million units shipped, according to IDC.

By Doug Young

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