Huawei overtook Apple, ranking first in premium-smartphone shipment in the domestic market with a 48% market share, and it ranks second in the global smartphone market, in Q1 2019.
According to market research company Counterpoint, Huawei's high-end smartphone ranked first in Chinese domestic market in Q1 2019, the first time Huawei has overtaken Apple in the premium handset segment in China.
While the high-end market shares for Huawei and Apple are almost the same in Q4 2018, with 39% and 40% respectively, Huawei's share grew to 48% market share, surpassing Apple's 37% in the first quarter of this year.
According to Counterpoint's definition, the premium smartphone ranges from be USD 600 to USD 800 each, while the super-premium smartphone sells for more than USD 800. In the super-premium segment, Apple still dominantes with a market share of about 74% while Huawei's is around 14%.
Globally, Counterpoint indicates that overall smartphone shipment declined 5% in Q1 2019, a sixth consecutive quarter of shipments falling. The story behind the falling rate is a lengthening replacement cycle that consumers hold their devices longer, especially the high-end phones. Tarun Pathak from Counterpoint explained that the reasons are "higher quality of devices, increasing average selling prices, and the lack of innovation sufficient to motivate consumer to upgrade."
Only Chinese brands Huawei, OPPO, and vivo recorded growth, which can be attributed to overseas expansion. Huawei also leapfrogged over Apple (12%) as the second-largest smartphone brand with a 17% global market share, trailing Samsung's 21%. Chinese smartphone OEMs Xiaomi and OPPO rank third after Apple, both achieving an 8% global market share.