Huawei Beats Samsung as Q2 Smartphone Leader; Reign Short-Lived: Canalys

Despite being locked out of the U.S. market due to government restrictions, Huawei became the leading global smartphone vendor in Q2, the first quarter in nine years that a company other than Samsung or Apple led, reported Canalys Thursday. The Chinese tech manufacturer shipped 55.8 million devices, down 5% year on year, overtaking second-place Samsung, whose 53.7 million smartphone shipments plummeted 30%. China has “emerged strongest from the coronavirus pandemic, with factories reopened, economic development continuing and tight controls on new outbreaks,” said the research firm. Analyst Ben Stanton attributed results to COVID-19, saying Huawei took “full advantage of the Chinese economic recovery to reignite its smartphone business.” Samsung has less than 1% share in China, while its core markets -- Brazil, India, the U.S. and Europe -- were hit by the coronavirus. It will be hard for Huawei to maintain its lead long term, said analyst Mo Jia, because major channel partners in key regions, such as Europe, are “increasingly wary” of carrying Huawei devices; they're taking on fewer models and bringing in new brands “to reduce risk.” Strength in China alone “will not be enough to sustain Huawei at the top.”