Sales of new iPhones have fallen recently. Analysts say this is because users are holding on to older models for longer as they’re put off by the increasing prices of new models.
Apple is losing its grip on the smartphone market.
The US tech company slipped to fourth place in IHS Markit’s list of the world’s top smartphone makers for the second quarter of 2019.
It now sits behind Samsung, Huawei, and Oppo, a Chinese smartphone brand that’s lesser-known in the West.
According to the IHS data, Apple shipped 35.3 million iPhones during the three months to the end of June, capturing 11% of the smartphone market. It was nudged down by Oppo, which shipped 36.2 million phones.
Samsung and Huawei, despite all its recent troubles in the US, shipped 75.1 million and 58.7 million phones, making their market shares 23 percent and 18 percent.
iPhone sales fell at a record pace in the three months to the end of March and continued to drop in the following quarter, falling by 11.8 percent from the year-ago period, to $26 billion.
iPhone sales now account for less than half of Apple’s overall revenue, as the company has seen more growth with other products such as the Apple Watch.
Analysts say this is because users are holding on to their old phones for longer to avoid forking out for the newer, more expensive models.
On top of this, Apple’s refusal to create a cheap iPhone that could be targeted at people in emerging markets means it has missed out on a key audience and allowed its rivals to make gains.
Huawei weathers the storm — for now
Elsewhere, the IHS data shows that, at this point, Huawei has managed to survive the recent trade ban in the US.
According to Jusy Hong, an IHS research and analysis director, this is because it has boosted its sales in China.
“Huawei been able to weather the storm so far,” he wrote in a statement accompanying the data.
“Following a strong first-quarter performance, Huawei was one of the few smartphone makers to buck the overall negative trend in the market in the second quarter. Huawei was able to replace falling international shipments with increased sales in China.”
But Hong cautioned that the full effects of the ban are likely to be felt by Huawei’s international business in the next quarter.
This article was originally published on Business Insider. Copyright 2019.
