Smartphone Shipments, Samsung Returns to Number One.

IDC New Zealand: Smartphone Shipments, Samsung Returns to Number One.

AUCKLAND, 2nd June 2017: According to IDC’s recently published first quarter smartphone shipment results, tracked from January to March 2017, Samsung has returned to the number one position in the New Zealand smartphone market. Samsung reclaimed the position from Apple, who had previously out shipped Samsung during the fourth quarter of the 2016 calendar year.

Samsung reached 40% share, growing from 26% share in the fourth quarter. Despite losing the top spot, Apple also grew in share from 31% to 38%. Huawei and Vodafone saw the greatest decline, falling from 21% to 11%, and 11% to 4% respectively.

Chayse Gorton, Client Device Analyst for IDC New Zealand, commented "Samsung's result suggest that on a local level, the vendor has successfully bounced back from the highly publicised worldwide fiasco relating to the Note 7." Samsung acted with New Zealand telcos to blacklist the Note 7 devices on the New Zealand network, minimising potential problems. Samsung's shipment result shows local efforts to minimise complications and losses in consumer confidence have been largely successful.

Gorton says "what makes the result more impressive, is Samsung's first quarter shipment numbers don’t include the recently released Galaxy S8. These went on sale nationwide in May 2017, so will help bolster Samsung's second quarter shipments.”

Along with Samsung's successful Galaxy S7 range, Samsung's first quarter shipments were strengthened by its J-range and A-range, which offer consumers good price to specification ratios at more affordable price points.

Samsung's triumph comes at a time when the whole New Zealand smartphone market is facing a slowdown. Vendors shipped 244,000 smartphones during January to March 2017, down from 347,000 smartphones shipped over the same period in in 2016.

Many vendors shipped large quantities of devices into the channel late last year which continued to be sold over the first quarter, hence in Gorton's opinion, a decline in shipments year on year is not too surprising.

Gorton concludes, "The smartphone market is in for an exciting year, with the expected launch of the 10th generation iPhone set to boost Apple's shipments, and enable Apple to again challenge Samsung for the leading position.”

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