Samsung takes smartphone top spot from Apple in Q1
Samsung Electronics took 26.1 percent market share in the first quarter of 2017, becoming the largest vendor in the quarter ahead of Apple's 16.9 percent, TrendForce said.
Apple was number one in the fourth quarter of last year with 20.3 percent, while Samsung was 18.5 percent.
The South Korean tech giant's sales results for its high-end smartphones fell short of expectations in the first quarter as consumer confidence in the brand had yet to fully recover from the recall of Galaxy Note 7, the market consultancy said.
The price-competitive Galaxy J series contributed significantly to sustain shipment, it said.
Non-Apple vendors, including Samsung which just launched the Galaxy S8, will see their shipment flatten until the second half of the year due to consumers holding off on their purchases for the 10th anniversary iPhone, due in the third quarter, the consultancy said.
Apple is reportedly preparing three versions of the phone with the premium one expected to sport an OLED display for the first time.
Cupertiono will likely lower the production of existing iPhone models in the second quarter to prepare for the launch of the new ones in the fall, TrendForce said.
Meanwhile, Huawei was ranked third with 11.4 percent, followed by Oppo's 8.1 percent and Vivo's 6.2 percent, in the first quarter. LG was ranked sixth with 4.6 percent.
Total shipment for the quarter was 307 million, a drop of 23 percent from the previous quarter. Fourth quarter volume is usually the highest thanks to the holiday season, while first quarters are lower as vendors brace for new releases in the spring.
Source:- http://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-takes-smartphone-top-spot-from-apple-in-q1/
