Gartner: Huawei rises to number three smartphone maker globally, still trails Apple and Samsung
Riding demand for low-cost smartphones in emerging markets and a revitalized brand image, Huawei has crept into third place in terms of global mobile sales. The gap between the Chinese manufacturer and top dogs Samsung and Apple, which together account for 52 percent of smartphone sales, is large, but the feat is nonetheless impressive considering Huawei’s lack of a presence in North America.
Huawei sold 27.2 million smartphones in 2012, up 73.8 percent from 2011. Still, Gartner analyst Anshul Gupta says, “There is no manufacturer that can firmly lay claim to the number 3 spot in global smartphone sales.”
Overall, consumer purchased fewer mobile phones in 2012 than in the previous year. Sales dropped by 1.7 percent. Smartphones, however, are setting record sales figures with 207.7 million sold in Q4. Samsung ranks as the top manufacturer and continues to see growth, while Nokia was bumped from their previous position as the number three manufacturer worldwide.
[via TechCrunch]