Huawei gaining ground in European smartphone market

Mar 11, 2016

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel said that Huawei was “the second strongest brand in the Android ecosystem” in key European markets in the three months ending January 2016.

The company said that in the UK and France, the Chinese vendor doubled its share in the past year, climbing to number four in the brand ranking, while maintaining its number two spot in Italy, Spain and Germany.

Huawei is also “closing the gap” with Apple in China, as third-placed Xiaomi struggled – although it held on to third spot in the country.

Apple’s share growth continued in this market, but at a slowed rate, “as more price-sensitive consumers might have been waiting to see what promotions Chinese New Year would bring in early February”.

Shifting to the US market, Kantar Worldpanel noted that Android was winning the battle to win-over feature phone upgraders. Among this group, Samsung was the most popular brand, followed by LG, Motorola, and “value-driven brands” such as ZTE and Alcatel.

Carolina Milanesi, chief of research for the company, said: “The pressure is certainly on and, for a lot of up-and-coming brands, the US will be a strong focus in 2016, since success in the North American market opens the door to being a truly global player”.

Source: Mobile World Live