Samsung outshines Apple, secures nearly 10% more market share

Gartner has released its latest report on smartphone sales for the year 2016.

Through its research, the IT firm concludes that tech giant Apple has had three consecutive quarters of slow demand with sales declining by 7.7 per cent. The research also reveals Android to be the most popular operating software for smartphones having a market share of 86 per cent.

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Global sales of smartphones increased by 4.3 per cent in 2016 with total number reaching 344 million units in the second quarter. "Demand for premium smartphones slowed in the second quarter of 2016 as consumers wait for new hardware launches in the second half of the year," Gartner Research Director Anshul Gupta said.

PHOTO: GARTNER

Samsung also had a near 10 per cent more market share over Apple for the second quarter. Furthermore, its Galaxy A and J lineup allowed it to compete with Chinese manufacturers and capture share in emerging markets.

Apple, on the other hand, saw a decline in sales with a fall of 26 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region. This can be attributed to the fact that the firm hasn’t released a new smartphone for a while leaving the market open to new companies such as Oppo.

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Oppo recorded the highest growth rate amongst the top five smartphone producers with a 129 per cent growth in the second quarter. "Features such as an anti-shake camera optimised for selfies, and rapid charge technology, helped Oppo carve a niche for itself and boost sales in a highly competitive and commoditized smartphone market," Gupta said.

PHOTO: GARTNER

Android dominated the operating software market with demand for the OS mainly driven by mid to lower-end smartphones. Premium smartphones also recorded 6.5 per cent increase for the second quarter.

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"Google is evolving the Android platform fast, which allows Android players to remain at the cutting edge of smartphone technology," Gartner Research Director Roberta Cozza said. "Facing a highly commoditized smartphone market, Google's focus is to further expand and diversify the Android platform with additional functionalities, like virtual reality, enabling more-intelligent experiences and reach into wearables, connected home devices, in-car entertainment and TV."