Global smartphone unit shipments of Huawei 2013-2020, by quarter

Huawei’s global smartphone shipments did at first demonstrate resilience to the coronavirus (COVD-19) pandemic, actually increasing shipments to 55.8 million units in the second quarter of 2020. Shipments fell to 51.9 million units in the third quarter of 2020, the second-highest amount of any smartphone vendor, but dropped to 32.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020.
While the shipment figures are declining, the long-term picture is not very bright either. Expulsion from the 5G network of several countries, as well as further restrictions on working with U.S. companies has put Huawei’s future under a cloud.

Huawei’s rapid ascent

Huawei has shot to global prominence in recent years, with their smartphone range and telecoms equipment business making major inroads in to markets outside of China. The company’s profit line reflects this growth in presence, rising from 27.87 billion Yuan in 2014, to 62.66 billion Yuan – approximately 9.7 billion U.S. dollars – in 2019. This rise was driven by a 197.8 increase in revenue over the same period.

Huawei takes top spot in Q2 2020

The second quarter of 2020 marked the first time that Huawei accounted for a greater share of smartphone shipments than any other smartphone manufacturer. 20 percent of all smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2020 were Huawei devices, ahead of Samsung on 19.5 percent, and Apple on 13.5 percent. On the other hand, has their market share more than halved in the fourth quarter of 2020 with just 8.2 percent of the market share.