INDUSTRY BRIEF: Transsion overtakes Vivo in global smartphone market

Samsung (005930.KS) and Apple (AAPL.US) continued to lead the global smartphone market in the third quarter, as Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi (1810.HK), Transsion (688036.SH) and Vivo rounded out the top five players, according to data released by IDC on Tuesday. In a significant shift, strong gains by Transsion during the quarter lifted it past Vivo to become the world’s fourth-largest smartphone seller.

Samsung was the world’s biggest smartphone seller during the quarter, shipping 61.4 million units for 19% of the market, according to IDC. It was followed by Apple, whose sales rose 2.9% year-on-year to 58.6 million units, giving it 18.2% of the global market. Xiaomi was third, posting the weakest year-on-year growth of 1.8% among the top five companies to take 13.5% of the market. Transsion took 9% of the market after recording 13.6% year-on-year growth, followed by Vivo with 8.9% of the market.

Worldwide smartphone shipments rose 2.6% during the quarter to 322.7 million units.

By Doug Young

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