Global iPhone sales drop 15% in June quarter

Global smartphone sales rose marginally to 343.3 million in the quarter ended June, up 0.3 per cent from 342.4 million a year ago.

Samsung held on to its lead position by increasing its market share to 22.4 per cent, from 21.3 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2015. Apple saw its sales plunge 15 per cent, as customers held back in anticipation of the launch of iPhone 7 in the next quarter, says a preliminary report from International Data Corporation (IDC).

Samsung’s shipment grew 5.5 per cent to 77 million in the quarter from 73 million a year ago. iPhone sales fell to 40.4 million in the quarter from 47.5 million last year, its market share fell to 11.8 per cent from 13.9 per cent a year ago.

“As smartphone prices continue to drop and competition escalates at the high end, vendors will need to continue to push ‘flagship-type’ devices at affordable price points, to encourage upgrading on a more frequent basis,” said Anthony Scarsella, research manager, mobile phones, IDC.

Chinese smartphone brands Oppo and Vivo have managed to dislodge two global giants, Xiaomi and Lenovo, and entered the top five during the quarter. Oppo’s shipment grew 136.6 per cent to 22.6 million. It currently holds the fourth spot.

“Oppo continued with its aggressive marketing and advertising, especially for its flagship R9 device, which helped it see good sales in the quarter. It continued to leverage its strength in tier-3 to tier-5 cities in China, which contributed to the strong growth,” the report noted.

Vivo’s shipment grew to 16.4 m, up 80.2 per cent from 9.1 mn last year. Helped by continued focus on the Asia-Pacific region, especially in China, and new device launches. “It also successfully hired popular Korean star Soon Joong Ki as its celebrity endorser, which helped boost its brand and smartphone sales in the region,” it said.

The share of brands behind the top five fell to 45.1 per cent from 50.7 per cent in 2015.