The high-end segment is the money spinner for phone manufacturers as that is where the most profit is made. It is no surprise Apple is the top performer in this category. However, according to Counterpoint’s stats for Q3 2018, Chinese smartphone companies are cashing in in this segment with Huawei leading the pack.
Counterpoint says the high-end smartphone segment witnessed its fastest growth in the third quarter of 2018. While the overall smartphone market declined by 5%, the premium segment grew by 19% that quarter
The market research firm has split the premium smartphone segment into three tiers – the $400 – $600 category, the $600 – $800 category, and the $800 and up category.
For the first category, Samsung is king here with 25% of the market share and is followed closely by Apple with 21%. Huawei comes next with a market share of 17%. Vivo and OPPO claim the 4th and 5th spots with 10% and 7% respectively and Xiaomi is 6th with a 6% market share.
In the $600 to $800 tier, Apple leads with a market share of 61%, three times more than Samsung that is at second place with a market share of 21%. Apple also leads the $800+ tier with a 79% market share. Counterpoint says Huawei also made its mark in the second tier with its Huawei P20 Pro flagship but it isn’t shown on the charts.
READ MORE: Huawei’s annual revenue crosses $100 billion for the first time
Even when the research is limited to just China, Apple is still at the top of the premium smartphone market and is followed by Huawei. Vivo, OPPO, and Xiaomi take the third, fourth and fifth spots. Huawei is also one of the top three in the Middle East, Latin America, and Western Europe while Xiaomi takes the lead in Central and East Asia.
(Via)
