Apple and Samsung had a lot to lose in front of Huawei and Oppo, the two Chinese manufacturers managing to increase their sales of premium smartphones "on the back" of the companies whose earnings they dream of. According to those from Counterpoint, in 2018 Apple and Samsung sold no less than 73% of all premium smartphones globally, the percentage being lower than the 81% recorded for 2017 by the two companies.
Apple decreased from 58% to 51%, while Samsung decreased from 23% to 22%, Huawei increased from 8% to 10%, and Oppo from 1% to 6%, OnePlus also increased from 1% to 2%. Apple had by far the largest percentage decrease in premium smartphone sales, all going to Huawei and Oppo, while OnePlus stole its percentage from Samsung, and so the giants are starting to seriously lose ground to Chinese companies.
Apple and Samsung. HUGE LOSSES in front of Huawei, OPPO
Oppo's growth is the most amazing, coming very close to Huawei, they manage to increase their sales of premium smartphones by no less than 5 times in just one year, something impossible to imagine a few years ago. Huawei grew thanks to the phones from the P20 and Mate 20 series, while in the case of Oppo, the R15 and R17 models generated the highest sales, China being the country that increased the sales of these manufacturers so much.
Overall, Chinese players have scaled up their presence in the premium segment and have expanded the category. Furthermore, they are now eyeing new geographies for growth. Apple remained the market leader capturing 51% share of the premium segment, a significant lead over its nearest competitor Samsung which had a 22% share. However, Chinese brands made their mark as Huawei's share in the segment reached double digits (10%) for the first time in a calendar year. OPPO (+863%), OnePlus (+209%), and Xiaomi (+149%) were the fastest growing brands in the premium segment.
The price strategy practiced by the Apple company is starting to show that the decision was an extremely bad one, and in the case of Samsung we knew that sales would decrease because the premium phones launched last year were not sought after. However, if things continue in the same way in 2019, then Apple will definitely fall below 50% of the premium phone market, and the Chinese will steal a good part of the huge revenues they keep registering.
