The US smartphone sales picture has always been an interesting read, and the latest numbers live up to that reputation. Well, okay, not if you’re a smartphone seller, that is.
Smartphone shipments in the States are down year-on-year, that is comparing Q1 2019 to Q1 2018.
No ad to show here.
Analysis firm Canalys notes that sales topped just 36.4-million devices in these three months, a drop of 18%. US customers bought eight-million fewer phones in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 2018.
It blames the absence of ZTE from the market, and a dismal performance by Apple. But just how dismal?
iPhone shipments fell 19% to 14.6-million. This still gives it a firm 40% market share in the States, down slightly from 40.3% in Q1 2018. Its biggest seller was the iPhone XR, with 4.7-million devices.
Samsung has largely weathered the storm. It grew by 3% year-on-year, shipping 10.7-million devices. The lion’s share of these stem from the Galaxy S10 family.
LG is the biggest loser, shrinking by nearly a quarter in 2019, shipping just 4.8-million devices.
Two Chinese firms follow: Lenovo and TCL, together making up 10.8% of the market.
Feature image: Apple
