The global smartphone market grew by 27 percent in the second quarter, but the ’superstar' of the period might just surprise you. Strategy Analytics firm on Thursday reported that Xiaomi captured around 5 percent of market share in Q2, 2014 and emerged as the fifth largest smartphone vendor in the world.
Meanwhile, China's Huawei also had a better quarter, it acquired the third place with around 7 percent market share. While Samsung retained its leadership as the top smartphone vendor in the second quarter, shipping 74.5 million smartphones globally, but its market share dropped to 25 percent from 32 percent a previous year. Apple acquired the second place, growing an average 13 percent annually with 35.2 million iPhones shipped worldwide for around 12 percent of market share. Number four position was dominated by Lenovo as it had a hard quarter. LG has been listed as the 6th largest smartphone vendor with 4.9 percent of the market share. In general, the smartphone shipments grew to 295.2 million units in the second quarter from 233 million units in the previous quarter.
'Xiaomi's Android smartphone models are wildly popular in the Chinese market and it shifts millions of them every quarter through its extensive online and operator channels,' Strategy Analytics said. 'Xiaomi's next step is to target the international market in Asia and Europe, where it will have to invest big money to familiarise western consumers with its unfamiliar brand name’ they added further.
