Smartphone shipments rise despite Samsung Galaxy Note7 recall

Smartphone shipments have increased in the third quarter of the year, even when Samsung's recalled Galaxy Note7 flagship is taken out of the equation. How much they rose depends on which analyst company you choose to believe. IDC is the most conservative, announcing a growth of one percent bump year-over-year, while Canalys is more optimistic, claiming a six percent bump.

Both Canalys and IDC exclude the Galaxy Note7 because Samsung stopped sales of its latest flagship and wants every unit it shipped to be returned by its customers. The smartphone performed well in the short time it was available, which is why the two companies specifically mention it in their reports -- though it did not dramatically affect Samsung's status as a market leader.

Based on IDC's numbers, Samsung remains the undisputed leader in Q3 2016, with shipments of 72.5 million units. It dropped 13.5 percent year-over-year, as in Q3 2015 it moved 83.8 million units. Still, the difference between it and Apple, the second-largest vendor, remains substantial -- though it is smaller than a year prior.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company shipped 45.5 million iPhones, down 5.3 percent from Q3 2015 when it moved 48 million units. Samsung's shipments give it a 20 percent market share, while iPhone shipments put Apple at 12.5 percent market share -- but in this quarter we might see the iPhone maker catching up even more. Here is why.

"Samsung's market dominance in the third quarter was unchallenged in the short term even with this high-profile Galaxy Note 7 recall, but the longer term impact on the Samsung brand remains to be seen. If the first recall was a stumble for Samsung, the second recall of replacement devices face-planted the Note series," says Melissa Chau, associate research director, Mobile Devices, IDC. "In a market that is otherwise maturing, Christmas has come early for vendors looking to capitalize with large-screened flagship alternatives like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel".

The difference between the second and third place on the podium is smaller though, as Huawei shipped 23 percent more units in Q3 2016 than in Q3 2015. Last quarter, it moved 33.6 million units, for a market share of 9.3 percent, compared to the 27.3 million units a year prior, when it had 7.6 percent of the market.

The top five is rounded off by Oppo and Vivo. Both players have a small presence in Western markets, but are strong in Asia. Oppo posted the highest growth year-over-year, at 121.6 percent, thanks to shipments rising to 25.3 million units from 11.4 million units. Vivo is not that far off at 102.5 percent growth, thanks to its shipments increasing to 21.2 million units from 10.5 million units.

Overall, vendors shipped 362.9 million smartphones in Q3 2016. In Q3 2015, shipments were 359.3 million units.

Canalys' report differs when it comes to the exact number of smartphones that vendors shipped in Q3 2016 (355 million units -- 336 million units in Q3 2015), but the ranking does not change, with all of the aforementioned five vendors coming in the same positions.

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