Huawei is now the second largest smartphone company across the globe, taking the coveted spot from none other than Apple.
However, it still has a long way to go to topple the current top dog of the industry that is Samsung.
Samsung Gets A Formidable Competitor As Apple Takes A Step Back
According to Counterpoint Research, Huawei's global smartphone sales have surpassed Apple's for June and July, and there's good reason to believe that it can continue its impressive market performance well into August.
The consulting firm says that this achievement is due to the company's "consistent investment in R&D and manufacturing," as well as its "aggressive marketing and sales channel expansion," which may be referring to the limited edition KFC smartphone, among other things.
It's not that simple, though. Even though things are looking good at the moment for the Chinese company, it relies too much on its local market for strong numbers. To maintain its momentum and double down on the second spot, it needs a better position in other major markets.
"While this streak could be temporary considering the annual iPhone refresh is just around the corner, it nevertheless underscores the rate at which Huawei has been growing. However, a weak presence in the South Asian, Indian and North American markets limits Huawei's potential in the near-to mid-term to take a sustainable second place position behind Samsung. Huawei is over-dependent on its home market China where it enjoys the leadership position and operator-centric markets in Europe, Latin America and Middle East," Peter Richardson, research director of Counterpoint Research, says.
In other words, Huawei is climbing the ranks, but there's doubt on whether or not it can keep its position in the number 2 spot long.
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus Are Still The Most Popular Smartphones
Despite Samsung's significant lead in the competition, it doesn't have the most popular smartphones. According to Strategy Analytics, that honor goes to Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, sitting on the first and second spots respectively, which is also evidenced by sales during the holiday of 2016.
For what it's worth, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are the best-selling Android phones in the world. Interestingly enough, there's no Huawei phone in the list at all.
Huawei To Invade The US Market
It's worth mentioning that Huawei could gain a stronger presence in the U.S. market soon. In early August, The Information reported that AT&T will start selling Huawei phones sometime in the first half of 2018.
If that pushes through, then it'll effectively remove one huge impediment that keeps the majority of U.S. customers from owning Huawei handsets: a lack of carrier support.
