Samsung is expected to lose some market in 2018, all thanks to the rise of Chinese smartphone manufacturers. The brand’s global market share is forecast to drop from 20.5 percent to 19.2 percent next year, according to Strategy Analytics.
Strategy Analytics says that Samsung is expected to ship 315 million units in 2018. According to a report (via The Korea Herald), Samsung will not only face a stiff competition in the flagship segment but also in the mid-range and budget segments, where the Chinese manufacturers are doing a pretty good job.
If the prediction is right, then this will be the first time Samsung could witness a year-on-year decline in its global smartphone shipments, excluding 2016. This was the year when the whole Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco came into limelight. The brand suspended the production of the Galaxy Note 7 when the reports of faulty battery and several units caught on fire took the internet with a storm.
On the other hand, Apple is expected to expand its business and it is forecasted that the brand could take up 14.3 percent of market share in 2018 by shipping 234 million units, up from 14 percent posted this year. “While the iOS-powered smartphones do not have competitors, Samsung will face tougher challenges in the Android segment,” said Park Nam-gyoo, a professor of business at Seoul National University in a statement to Yonhap News Agency.
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Huawei is also set to expand its global market share and it will grab the third position with a 10 percent market share. Interestingly, Huawei surpassed Apple to grab the second spot in the smartphone sales this past summer. Further, Oppo will take the fourth place with an expected market share of 7.8 percent of the global smartphone market. However, it is important to note that the figures are based on estimates.