Huawei tops China handset market

Telecom and smartphone giant Huawei extended its dominance in the China market in the fourth quarter of 2019 with a massive 39 per cent market share and 33.3 million unit shipments while Xiaomi slipped to fifth spot with a mere 8.1 million shipments and 9.5 per cent slice of the pie, Singapore-based market research firm Canalys has revealed.

For the calendar year 2019, Huawei had an impressive 142 million shipments in the domestic market -- a 35 per cent growth over 2018. 

Oppo with 65.7 million and Vivo with 62.7 million were the other two shipment leaders for the full year 2019. Xiaomi with 38.8 million and Apple with its 27.5 million completed the top-five list for 2019.

In the fourth quarter (October-December period), Oppo retained the second spot with 14 million units shipped and a 16.4 per cent market share. 

Vivo grabbed the third spot with 13.1 million shipments and 15.4 per cent market share, followed by Apple at the fourth place with 10.1 million sales and 11.8 per cent market share.

Xiaomi with 8.1 million shipments, got 9.5 per cent slice of the pie. 

Notably, all these major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had significant declines compared to the Q4 2018 values.

Total smartphone sales for 2019 came out to 369 million units which is a 7 per cent down on a yearly basis.

Meanwhile, in a breather to the Chinese telecom equipment and smartphone giant Huawei, the Pentagon has blocked the Commerce Department-backed ban on sales that make it harder for US-based companies to sell equipment to the handset maker, the media has reported.

The US Department of Commerce had put Huawei on the "entity list" in May 2019, thus, preventing US firms from conducting business with the company unless they obtain a specific license, citing national security concerns with the Chinese telecommunications giant.

The UK has also decided to let China's Huawei continue to be used in its 5G networks but with restrictions, including banning its equipment in the network's "sensitive parts", like the core, and capping the presence of its kit in the network's periphery to 35 per cent.