Report: Samsung shipped more smartphones than anyone in Q1 2015, Huawei climbs the list

By Jason Hahn April 19, 2015

Samsung

Samsung extended its lead over Apple in terms of worldwide smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2015, before the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge even began shipping. The gap between the two smartphone manufacturers will widen in the second quarter, according to technology market intelligence firm TrendForce.

In the first quarter, a total of 291.2 million smartphone units were shipped around the world, a 9.2 percent decline from the 320.8 million units shipped in the prior quarter. The larger-than-expected drop is attributed to a weak market in China, according to Taiwan-based TrendForce.

Samsung was the No. 1 smartphone manufacturer in the first quarter, claiming 27.8 percent of all worldwide shipments. Apple was second with 19.9 percent of the market. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the gap between the two top dogs was narrower (24.7 percent of Samsung, 23.3 percent for Apple).

These figures don’t include Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, which were officially released on April 10. Preorders on some carriers began on March 27, but TrendForce’s report covers shipments.

TrendForce - Samsung shipments Q1 2015 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have successfully captured consumers’ attention in the first quarter,” according to the report. TrendForce forecasts worldwide shipments of Samsung’s two flagship models to exceed 20 million units in the second quarter. The firm projects Samsung to ship more than 80 million total units in the second quarter, while Apple is expected to ship 45 million units.

China-based Huawei finished the first quarter in third with 7.0 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments, followed by LG with 6.2 percent and Lenovo with 6.0 percent. All other smartphone manufacturers accounted for 33.0 percent of shipments.

TrendForce’s report also lists the top five smartphone makers in China in the first quarter: Huawei, Lenovo, Xiaomi, TCL, and Coolpad. Huawei stole the No. 1 spot in China from Lenovo.

[Image courtesy of 360b/Shutterstock]

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…

Mobile

Samsung’s next folding smartphone may cost less than $1,000

samsung galaxy fold fixes explained feature

Samsung’s foldable smartphone follow-up to the Galaxy Fold may cost around $1,000, according to a report from South Korea, making it half the price of the current model, and even less still than the $1,500 Motorola Moto Razr. The new model, which does not seem to have a name yet, has been rumored for release alongside the next Galaxy S phone, expected around February 2020.

The news comes from the Korea Herald, a publication with an average reputation for rumor coverage, but it’s fairly certain Samsung will want to capitalize on its initial dominance of the international market for foldable phones with more choices next year. The report states the next Samsung foldable will have a clamshell design, meaning it may be more like the Moto Razr than the Galaxy Fold.

Mobile

AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Mobile

Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today

Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally.