Skip to Content

Huawei Challenges Apple and Samsung as Third-Largest Smartphone Maker

by

Huawei-Mate-SWhile the smartphone market largely remains a two-horse race between rivals Apple and Samsung, Chinese handset maker Huawei is placing increasing pressure on the industry giants after experiencing strong growth in China and Europe in 2015.

Third-quarter deliveries climbed 81 percent and 98 percent in China and Europe respectively from a year ago. About a third of the quarterly shipments were mid- to high-end models, Huawei said, up from 25 percent a year earlier.

Huawei cemented its position as the third-largest smartphone vendor, a rank that previously belonged to Chinese rival Xiaomi, after its third-quarter smartphone shipments rose 63% year-over-year to 27.4 million handsets, according to Reuters.

"It's hard to find a solid contender to Huawei for the top three position (after Samsung and Apple) in the short term," said Nicole Peng, Asia Pacific director at research firm Canalys. "That's impressive growth."

Huawei is projected to ship more than 100 million smartphones in 2015, around 33% more than 2014, outpacing growth forecast for major rivals including Apple, Xiaomi and Lenovo. The Shenzhen-based handset maker also doubled its smartphone revenue in the first half of 2015 in China, a key smartphone market alongside the United States.

Nevertheless, Huawei remains a distant third behind Apple and Samsung, largely because its market penetration remains low in the U.S., where its devices were once labeled a security risk in a U.S. Congressional report. Huawei's smartphone market share was worth $7 billion in the second quarter, according to Canalys.

Top Rated Comments

spiderman0616 Avatar
135 months ago
Yeah...Xiaomi did the same thing for awhile, and then petered out. I don't see much different happening here in the long run. It's still just another Android OEM.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrgraff Avatar
135 months ago
More like Hu-a-thei? Am I right? ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
135 months ago
Although it's in 3rd spot, Huawei is probably making more money than Samsung. IMHO.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
135 months ago
Huawei was supposedly linked to China Military sometime back o_O

And these figures are apparently coming from dumping of sub 100$ junk mobiles in eurasian countries.
1) Most companies were also making weapons and stuff like that during World Wars, so I don't quite see your point. Is it because it's *China* Military ?

2) As said in the article, about a third of that is mid to high end.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bhatu Avatar
135 months ago
Huawei was supposedly linked to China Military sometime back o_O

And these figures are apparently coming from dumping of sub 100$ junk mobiles in eurasian countries.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JXShine Avatar
135 months ago
This thing looks like a poor attempt at making an iPhone 6S and Galaxy note hybrid
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone fold text

iPhone Fold Crease Measurements Revealed as Device Hits Production

Wednesday February 25, 2026 5:37 am PST by
Apple has submitted production line orders for its upcoming foldable iPhone, effectively confirming that the device will launch this year, claims a Chinese leaker. According to the Weibo account "Fixed Focus Digital," assembly lines recently received the orders from Apple, which has apparently allowed the leaker to learn the crease measurements for the device's 7.8-inch inner display....
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Leaker Says Apple's Lower-Cost MacBook Will Have These 8 Limitations

Wednesday February 25, 2026 9:25 am PST by
Apple is expected to unveil its long-rumored lower-cost MacBook next week. Given it will be more affordable, this MacBook model will obviously have some reduced specs and compromises compared to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. While we are still waiting for Apple to announce the new MacBook, a leaker has shared eight alleged limitations to expect, based on an internal version of Apple's...
m3 macbook pro blue

M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro: What to Expect

Wednesday February 25, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a new MacBook Pro that could launch next week ahead of the "Special Experience" planned for March 4, so we thought we'd highlight all of the rumors about the device so far. Design There are no rumors of design changes, and we are expecting the upcoming M5 MacBook Pro models to look just like the M4 versions. Apple will continue to offer 14-inch and 16-inch size options,...