The most recent quarterly financial results have now rolled in from most major tech companies, and it seems as if everyone is waiting for the big fall product launches. Looking back over the past quarter, TrendForce has now released its estimates for smartphone shipments.
The tech analyst estimates that 221 million total smartphones were shipped in the second quarter of 2013, a 6.6% increase over the first quarter and an over 31% increase from smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2012. TrendForce predicts 928 million smartphone units to ship by the end of the year, a nearly one-third increase over 2012.
It’s no surprise that Samsung and Apple are leading the pack in smartphone shipments. What may be surprising is just how far ahead Samsung is pulling from the competition. The Korean manufacturer shipped an estimated 71 million total smartphone units during the second quarter, with an estimated 23 million of those being the company’s new flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S4. Much of the rest were mid-priced handsets, many of them sold in emerging markets such as China. Samsung’s total shipments reflect a steady increase from the first quarter
During this same time, Apple shipped only 27 million iPhones, including 22 million iPhone 5 units. Overall, the company shipped 30% fewer smartphones than in the first quarter 2013. Apple’s shipments are expected to increase in the third quarter of 2013, when the next version of the iPhone is expected to ship.
Aside from Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo, Sony, and Coolpad also managed to increase smartphone shipment numbers from the first quarter of 2013. TrendForce points out that these companies are now competing for the mid-priced smartphone market, which is soon expected to account for over half of the global smartphone market.
