The global smartphone market is set to grow 4.2 percent to just above 1.5 billion units in 2016, up 4.2 percent year-on-year, according to a report from Taipei-based research institute MIC. The growth estimate is slightly more positive than IDC’s recent prediction of a 3.1 percent annual increase in sales. Although declining market demand meant smartphone shipments reached just 342.7 million units in the first quarter, down 14.9 percent sequentially and 0.1 percent year-on-year, MIC’s report said the performance of Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Oppo should help boost sales over the rest of the year.
Huawei alone shipped 27.6 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2016, a 51.6 percent year-on-year increase, driven by strong sales of its Mate 8 handset, while Oppo and Vivo have seen growing demand from the female market, said the report.
