Apple captures 43% of the global premium segment

The global premium smartphone segment grew faster than the overall smartphone segment in Q2 2018 which was driven by increased in shipments of Chinese players like OPPO, Vivo, Huawei, OnePlus and Xiaomi, according to a report by research firm Counterpoint.

The firm said that these players grow outside China, the premium portfolio can help them tap the developed markets like Western Europe or the USA.

It said that Cupertino based Apple led the global premium smartphone segment captured 43 percent share of the segment, followed by Samsung (24 percent), OPPO (10 percent), Huawei (9 percent), Xiaomi (3 percent) and OnePlus (2 percent).

Apple and Samsung sales were driven by developed markets like USA, China, Japan, Korea and countries in Western Europe. Samsung's share in the $600-$800 segment declined due to fewer than expected sales of the Galaxy S9 series.

It also pointed out that OnePlus was one of the fastest growing brands in the $400-$600 segments.

OnePlus sales were driven by India, China, and the UK. In India, it surpassed Apple and Samsung to become the one premium smartphone OEM during the quarter with a strong 40 percent market share. It was also amongst the top five premium smartphone OEMs in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK due to strong initial sales of the OnePlus 6.

Among the key Chinese brands in the premium segment, Huawei and OnePlus were the only brands with wider geographic reach. More than 95 percent of flagship sales for OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi happened in China, while Huawei and OnePlus flagship sales grew in parts of Europe, the report added.