Q3 2013: Samsung Hits Record High as Global Mobile Phone Shipments Reach 418 Million Units, says Strategy Analytics.

According to the latest research from  Wireless Device Strategies (WDS) service, global mobile phone shipments grew 7 percent annually to reach 418 million units in the third quarter of 2013. Samsung captured a record 29 percent share of all mobile phone volumes worldwide, while Huawei jumped to fifth place in the rankings.

Global mobile phone shipments grew 7 percent annually from 390.4 million units in Q3 2012 to 417.8 million in Q3 2013. Smartphones accounted for 60 percent of total shipments and feature phones the remaining 40 percent. The 7 percent growth rate of the overall mobile phone market is at its highest level since 2011, and a recovery is underway, driven by healthier demand for 4G and 3G models across Asia, Europe and North America.

Samsung grew 17 percent annually and shipped a record 120.1 million mobile phones worldwide, capturing a record 29 percent marketshare in Q3 2013. Samsung shipped more mobile phones than Nokia, Apple and LG combined. Solid demand for the new Note 3 phablet and for mass-market devices like the Galaxy Y helped to lift Samsung’s volumes. Nokia shipped a slightly better-than-expected 64.6 million mobile phones worldwide in Q3 2013. Nokia’s 15 percent global mobile phone marketshare is showing signs of stabilizing sequentially as demand for the Microsoft Lumia smartphone range is improving. However, Nokia’s feature phone unit remains a problem-child as global volumes dipped -27% year-over-year.

Apple shipped 33.8 million iPhones worldwide in Q3 2013, up from 26.9 million a year earlier. Apple grew 26 percent annually in Q3 2013, which was faster than the overall mobile phone industry, enabling Apple to raise its global marketshare slightly from 7 percent to 8 percent during the past year. We expect Apple to gain further mobile phone share in the upcoming fourth quarter of 2013 due to high demand for its new iPhone 5s model. LG maintained its broad upward momentum with 18.3 million mobile phones shipped worldwide in Q3 2013, rising from 14.4 million units a year earlier. LG is expanding rapidly in Europe, but China and India remain major weak spots that the vendor still needs to address.

Other findings from SA research include:

* Huawei shipped 14.6 million mobile phones worldwide for 3 percent marketshare to become the world’s fifth largest vendor in Q3 2013. The popular P6 and G610 models have been among the main drivers of Huawei’s success;

* TCL-Alcatel and Coolpad are currently the fastest-growing major brands among the Others segment. Coolpad is expanding quickly in China, while TCL-Alcatel is gaining a sizeable presence across Latin America and Western Europe.