IDC: Static smartphone market in Q1 2016. Apple in crisis, the Chinese advance

The smartphone segment is saturated in mature markets and has room for growth in the emerging markets. This very concise picture of the smartphone industry is underpinned by statistics compiled by IDC on the number of units delivered in the first quarter of the year. During January, February and March 2016 the producers have delivered a total of 334.9 million smartphones worldwide, number only marginally higher than the 334.3 million recorded in the first quarter of 2015, which translates into lower growth made record the specific market segment: only 0.2% more yoy.

As part of a substantially crystallized market, emerging trends significant: on the one hand the top players Samsung and Apple losing ground, albeit to varying degrees, on the other hand the arrembanti Chinese manufacturers manage to gain market share in emerging markets. During the quarter, Samsung and Apple continue to occupy, respectively, the first and the second potion of the leading manufacturers of smartphones, but the gap between the two companies has been extended because of the debacle of the house in Cupertino. The market shares of Samsung are reduced but not by much over the previous year (-0.6%), while the biggest loss the records Apple with 16% of deliveries in less than the same period of 2015. Statistics provided by IDC that are reflected in the financial results of Q1 2016 reported in recent hours from Apple.

On the other side they are placed Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei, Oppo and Vivo that close the top five recording growing trend. Specifically, while Huawei aspires to undermine the third Apple's position, Oppo and Vivo managed to unseat Lenovo and Xiaomi from the fourth and fifth position. These are new names on the international scene, strongly rooted in such an important market like China, but - says IDC - have yet to demonstrate that they have the ability to impose itself with the same determination in key markets such as the United States and Europe.