HAMPSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - October 29, 2015) -

• Samsung mobile phone unit profitability increases y-o-y, shipping 84 million smartphones.
• HTC continues decline in revenues of 49%, despite restructuring.
• Microsoft revenues plummet for Lumia phone by 54%, reflecting 'Updated Strategy'.

Leading mobile analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached 342.5 million in Q3 2015, with a slowed y-o-y growth of 8.4%.

Apple Reports Record Profits and Bets on China, Despite the Slowing Economy

Apple posted another record-breaking quarter, with 48 million unit sales, compared to 39 million iPhones sold in Q3 2014. Apple is increasingly turning to China for this growth - with over $12 billion in revenue coming from the Far East, and continued investment in the form of new stores and developer support. Whilst the appetite for Apple products is expected to remain strong in China, future expansion may be tempered somewhat by the slower economic growth expected in the market.

Samsung is beginning to turn its mobile unit around, with increased unit shipments and a 37% y-o-y increase in profitability. This bolsters gains made by the company's semiconductor business, which is one of the most productive divisions for the company.

Xiaomi sold an estimated 18.4 million smartphones, with the slowdown in China exacerbating the company's troubles in the international market. This meant that Huawei was the best performing Chinese vendor of the quarter, shipping 27.4 million devices, up 63% on shipments for this period last year.

Struggling Vendors with Eyes on the Horizon

Apple is not the only smartphone vendor with its eyes on the future; despite a 32% y-o-y decline in shipments, Sony has announced plans to open a new smartphone factory in Thailand. This will start production in fiscal 2016, putting to rest rumours that the CEO was preparing to axe the division.

A similarly sharp sales drop from Microsoft is being blamed on an 'updated strategy': this is a reference to the shift away from devices onto a more platform-based business model. The 54% revenue decline is matched by a 38% y-o-y decline in unit sales, representing 5.8 million shipments for Q3.

• LG has posted their first ever Q3 y-o-y decline in smartphone sales along with a drop in profits from both declining sales and unfavourable exchange rates.
• BlackBerry sales continue to dip ahead of its Android launch, with sales estimated to have dropped below 1 million devices for the first time since 2005.
• Asus' smartphone presence is steadily growing, with an estimated 6 million units shipped this quarter.

The new Smartphone Q3 Report from Juniper Research, to be released shortly, gets under the skin of the latest market developments, analyses their implications, and forecasts how they will affect the overall market size. For further insights go to the Juniper Research website.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

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