IDC: Apple narrowly retained second place in smartphone market in 2018

Apple narrowly retained second place in the smartphone market in 2018, according to estimates by analyst firm IDC. The smartphone market as a whole shrank by about 4 percent, the agency says.

Samsung remains the market leader, but delivered 8 percent fewer smartphones than in 2017, claims IDC. Apple’s shipments of iPhones also fell, and with the surge in Huawei shipments, the gap between Huawei and Apple is now almost nil. Xiaomi is also increasing strongly, partly due to the release of Xiaomi smartphones in more countries last year. Oppo remains about the same.

The market as a whole shrank by 4 percent. That is largely due to China, where manufacturers were able to wear 10 percent fewer smartphones. The Chinese market accounts for almost a third of global sales, which means that the decline in the Chinese market has a relatively large impact.

In addition, according to IDC, the decline is because people are keeping their old phones longer and are not happy with the increased prices of smartphones in recent years. The analyst firm expects the decline to continue this year.