Huawei is beginning to feel the effects of the U.S. embargo on international smartphone sales. In the last quarter of 2019 and according to Canalsys, the Chinese firm recorded a 42% drop in sales in France. Xiaomi and Apple have taken advantage of the brand's collapse to nibble on its market share.
Updated on 13/02:
A huawei spokesman commented on Canalsys' numbers and counting method. He explained that the institute is based on direct shipments of smartphones to distributors, but does not take into account operators. In addition, its counting method is based on declarative. Clearly, without questioning the veracity of Canalsys' figures, they would reflect only part of the smartphone sales market in France. Huawei was keen to point out that its market share in volume terms for the last quarter of 2019 was 18.7%. Moreover, for the year 2019, the same figure of market share by volume rose to 18.9%, thus gaining 3.9% compared to the previous year. The results in the Chinese manufacturer's Hexagon would not be so bad for the past year, although it is likely that its sales have declined if we take into account its subsidiary Honor (particularly because of Xiaomi, which is increasingly present in France and very aggressive in the entry and mid-range segment of Honor).
Original article from 07/02:
The Canalys Institute has just unveiled the report on smartphone sales in France during the fourth quarter of 2019. Unsurprisingly, Samsung once again topped the rankings with 34% of the market share, up 98% compared to the same period in 2018. The South Korean manufacturer is benefiting from the success of the Galaxy S10, Note 10 and the latest models in the Galaxy A lineup.
Read also: Huawei to pre-install 70 Android apps on Google's private smartphones
Apple steals second place in the French market from Huawei
In second place is Apple. The Cupertino-based firm took advantage of the commercial success of the iPhone 11 and Huawei's tumble to reclaim second place in the rankings and up to 33% market share. Apple recorded a 45% increase in sales in the space of a year. As a reminder, the Californian brand still had to settle for third place in the French market in the third quarter of 2019. Without U.S. sanctions against Huawei, would Apple have managed to dethrone its Chinese rival?
Deprived of Android license and Google services, Huawei is relegated to third place in the top with only 11% of market share, down 42% compared to the fourth quarter of 2018. In the previous quarter, however, the Chinese group still held 17% of the market share. The failed launch of the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro in France and growing concerns about the future of the brand are directly responsible for this fall.
It should be noted that the situation is exactly the same as in France in other European countries. In Germany and Italy, Huawei was indeed ejected from the leading duo with 33 and 41% less market share compared to the end of 2018. In Spain, Huawei even slumped to fourth place (-10% market share), behind Apple, Xiaomi and Samsung. Will the release of the Huawei P40 allow the firm to raise the bar on the European market? Meanwhile, Huawei can still count on its undeniable success in the Chinese market to keep its head above water.
Xiaomi trails Huawei
Xiaomi took advantage of the sanctions against Huawei to climb the ladder. With 8 market shares in France (up 70% compared to the end of 2018), the "Chinese Apple" is dangerously close to its compatriot. In the coming months, will Xiaomi succeed in ejecting Huawei from third place? We'll tell you more as soon as possible. In the meantime, please comment on the Canalys report in the comments below.