China overtakes US in smartphone sales: Analyst
China overtook the United States as the world's biggest smartphone market by volume in the third quarter driven by discounts and popular devices like Apple Inc's iPhone, according to Strategy Analytics.
November 23, 2011 / 21:10 IST
China overtook the United States as the world's biggest smartphone market by volume in the third quarter driven by discounts and popular devices like Apple Inc's iPhone, according to Strategy Analytics.
Smartphone shipments grew 58% to reach a record 23.9 million units in China during the quarter, while US shipments fell 7% from the second quarter to reach 23.3 million devices, according to the research firm.Strong growth in China was due to aggressive" operator subsidies -- where operators discount phones to lure consumers into long-term contracts -- as well as iPhone and cheaper phones from Chinese vendors such as ZTE Corp who use Google Inc's Android software.However, its lead may not last for long the researcher said. US smartphone demand was slow in the quarter as many consumers were waiting for the next version of iPhone to launch. As a result China may have a narrower lead or even lose the number one position to the U.S. again in the current quarter, according to Strategy Analytics analyst Linda Sui."Whether China can maintain the No. 1 spot depends on the US market," Sui said. "It really depends on iPhone demand in the US"Nokia Oyj lead the China smartphone market in the third quarter with 28% market share, while HTC Corp head the pack in the U.S. market with a 24% share ahead of Apple's 20.6% share, according to the research. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
