Xiaomi beats Lenovo to be third largest smartphone brand

As competition for the smartphones market hots up, new players from China are making waves.

Xiaomi has stormed into the top 5 list for the first time with best selling models, which are getting sold out within minutes of its launch on websites.

Samsung continued to top the charts though it was the only company among the top five to see its sales decline year over year. 

Global smartphone shipments zoomed above 300 million units for the second consecutive quarter with a number of new smartphone launches and growth in emerging markets.

Trashing rumours of a slowing market, smartphone shipments continued to see record sales, according to Ryan Reith, program director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

According to International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 327.6 million units during the third quarter of 2014 (3Q14), registering a growth of 25.2 per cent.In the third quarter of 2013, 261.7 million units were shipped. 

"We've finally reached a point where most developed markets are experiencing single-digit growth while emerging markets are still growing at more than 30 per cent collectively. In these markets, smartphone price points are making mobile computing possible where we once expected feature phones to remain dominant. The challenge has now become how to make money on devices that are quickly becoming commodity products. Outside of Apple, many are struggling to do this," Ryan Reith explains.

Take a look at the world’s top smartphone makers… 

Samsung

Rank: 1

Shipment volumes (Q3 2014): 78.1 million

Market share (Q3 2014): 23.8%

Though Samsung remains the world leader in smartphones, it has received a jolt as sales volumes have reduced this quarter.

“Samsung has long relied on its high-end devices, its mid-range and low-end models drove volume for the quarter,” says IDC. 

Apple

Rank: 2

Shipment volumes (Q3 2014): 39.3 million

Market share (Q3 2014): 12% 

Unveiling the much-awaited iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple saw its largest third-quarter volume ever.

Apple saw robust sales of 10 million units during its initial launch weekend.

A sustained demand for its older iPhone 5S and 5C models continues, which comprised a good share of its volume for the quarter, according to IDC.

Xiaomi

Rank: 3

Shipment volumes (Q3 2014): 17.3 million

Market share (Q3 2014): 5.3% 

A new entrant Xiaomi making waves with Mi3, Mi4 models, has secured the number 3 position.

With a steady focus on China and adjacent markets, it has seen a triple-digit year-over-year growth.

“Xiaomi, Lenovo, and LG Electronics posted market-beating growth and with markedly different strategies," said Ramon Llamas, research manager, IDC.

The company now faces a big challenge to move beyond China for higher sales. 

Lenovo

Rank: 4

Shipment volumes (Q3 2014): 16.9 million

Market share (Q3 2014): 5.2%

Lenovo’s sales improved on steady gains in China and abroad. The share of non-China shipments has hit a high of 20 per cent in the third quarter of 2014, up from 9 per cent, a year ago.

The sub-$100 smartphones like the A369i and A316 helped the company drives sales from emerging markets in Asia/Pacific and the Middle East and Africa.

It also launched a number of 4G handsets at lower prices. 

LG

Rank: 4

Shipment volumes (Q3 2014): 16.8 million

Market share (Q3 2014): 5.1% 

LG received good results with its low-cost smartphones pushing total volumes past the 15 million-unit mark for the first time in the company's history.

Its F-and L-series smartphones have received a positive response from both emerging and developed markets.

LG’s flagship G3 also helped it maintain a presence in the high-end the market, lifting the company's overall LTE (Long-Term Evolution) footprint.

Other players

Rank: 6

Shipment volumes (Q3 2014): 159.2 million

Market share (Q3 2014): 48.6%

Other smartphone makers garnered nearly 50 per cent of the smartphone market share.