Huawei is now world’s second-largest smartphone brand

Huawei overtook Apple as the world’s second-largest smartphone brand in 2019, according to a new report from Counterpoint Research. Huawei shipped 238 million units, making up 16 percent of the global market share. This comes despite U.S. sanctions on Huawei, contraction in the smartphone market over the past two years, and Apple taking the top spot for the fourth quarter.

Domestic Chinese consumers are to thank for Huawei’s success. According to Caixin:

The report attributed Huawei’s global growth to its robust performance at home, where it grew its market share to a record 40 percent. Phones shipped in China accounted for more than 60 percent of Huawei’s total for the year, according to the report.    

However, the report was less optimistic about the future of Huawei’s operating system, Harmony. As Caixin noted:

Counterpoint also predicted that it will be almost impossible for Huawei’s own operating system, which it may use after being banned from doing business with Android creator Google, to compete against Android anywhere outside of China.

Samsung retained its top spot as the overall number one smartphone vendor for 2019, with Chinese brand Xiaomi coming in at number four.

Also see on The China Project: U.K. opens narrow door to Huawei 5G.

—Alex Smith