(image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The global shipment of feature phones increased in the third quarter of the year amid slowing demand for high-end smartphones, as consumers in emerging markets opted for devices with basic functions, industry data showed on Wednesday.
According to the data compiled by industry tracker Counterpoint Research, global shipments of feature phones came to 112 million units in the July-September period, up 3 percent from a year earlier.
The figures compare to smartphones, which posted shipments of 380 million units over the period, down 5 percent from last year.
The increase in shipments of feature phones was helped by Middle East and African markets, where sales shot up 32 percent on-year.
Middle East, African and Indian markets accounted for more than 70 percent of the global shipments of feature phones, Counterpoint said.
India’s iTel and Finnish HMD accounted for 14 percent each, followed by Jio with 11 percent.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. trailed with a market share of 8 percent, and Hong Kong-based Techno took up 6 percent.
LG Electronics Inc., Samsung’s smaller local rival, was the No. 2 player in the North American market for feature phones, but was not included in the top five list of other regions.
Samsung led the smartphone market with a share of 19 percent in the third quarter in terms of units shipped, followed by Chinese Huawei Technologies Co. with 14 percent, Counterpoint added. U.S. giant Apple Inc. posted 12 percent.
(Yonhap)
