Apple on Course to Retake Second Place in Global Smartphone Vendor Ranking - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple on Course to Retake Second Place in Global Smartphone Vendor Ranking

by

Apple is on course to recapture second place from Huawei in the global smartphone vendor ranking in the fourth quarter of 2019, reports DigiTimes.

iphone 11 and 11 pro
The change in ranking is said to be a combined effect of strong sales of Apple's iPhone 11 lineup and the impact of Huawei's trade ban in the United States.

Despite being blacklisted by the U.S. government in the middle of the second quarter this year, Huawei has managed to ship 60 million handsets, which is around the same amount it shipped in the previous quarter, according to data from Gartner.

However, as the trade ban drags on, Huawei is expect to see sales slide over the second half of this year. Gartner estimates that shipments could fall to about 50 million units in the third quarter, before bouncing back to 60 million units going into the holiday period.

According to IDC, Apple shipped 36 million iPhones in Q1 2019. Sales are said to have dropped to 34 million in the second quarter, with an expected slide to 30 million units in Q3 as people waited for Apple's next-generation flagship devices, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

But with reports of higher-than-expected sales of its iPhone 11 lineup both domestically and abroad, Apple could see its handset shipments reach 70 million units in the fourth quarter, which would exceed the 60 million units Huawei is expected to ship in Q4 2019.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

realtuner Avatar
92 months ago

That's cute. Your uni city is not the whole country though.

It's a fact that iPhone penetration is very low in Germany compared to say US or Japan or even China and Australia and has been falling for years, only recently barely trending upwards.


There’s one HUGE flaw with those numbers. They represent device sales, not actual active users.

Someone buying $50 Android phones and throwing them out every 6-12 months (because it’s cheaper to buy another one than to bother fixing it) makes for a lot of sales but does nothing to increase your user base.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
92 months ago
Personal experience of course but I feel like „everyone“ in Germany is slowly switching to Huawei unless they got an iPhone from work
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RickDEGH Avatar
92 months ago

Personal experience of course but I feel like „everyone“ in Germany is slowly switching to Huawei unless they got an iPhone from work
No, I don’t think so! In fact, I think the opposite is rather happening. I live in a university city and all I see on buses and trains and on the streets are iPhones. Matter of fact, I know folks who recently switched from Android devices to iPhones. A year ago I hardly ever saw anyone with one of the “notched” iPhones. Now it’s all I see.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
92 months ago
Boy, this is really a “boring and lackluster” year for iPhone... 😂 The naysayers have been pretty quiet lately.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
m0sher Avatar
92 months ago
Apple must be doing great this year.

They are slammed with pre orders.

I know this because my Pro Max Oct 1 preorder won’t be shipped until Oct 10-17th *sigh* at least by overnight shipping once it ships.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RickDEGH Avatar
92 months ago

That's cute. Your uni city is not the whole country though.

It's a fact that iPhone penetration is very low in Germany compared to say US or Japan or even China and Australia and has been falling for years, only recently barely trending upwards.


You do realize that you showed a comparison between iOS = iPhones vs Android = quazillion OEMs? Also, my comment was in direct response to another comment about Huawei and iPhones.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Duo Hinge Feature 1

Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%

Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:23 pm PDT by
Strong pre-orders have reportedly prompted Apple to order millions more iPhone Duo units from suppliers, according to DigiTimes. Supply chain sources said Foxconn and component manufacturers had received instructions reflecting a roughly 44% increase from 9.7 million to 14 million devices. The revised target reportedly follows strong pre-orders for Apple's first foldable iPhone and covers a...
iPhone Duo Hinge Feature 3

iPhone Duo Demand Reportedly Exceeds Apple's Expectations

Thursday October 22, 2026 9:24 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone Duo has attracted more pre-orders than the company anticipated in several major markets, according to DigiTimes, with display chip suppliers hoping its reception will boost investment in foldable devices. Sources in the display driver industry believe the iPhone Duo could give other smartphone makers greater confidence in foldables, expanding the market for OLED touch and...
Apple Environment Feature

Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions

Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:15 pm PDT by
Apple's efforts to cut supply chain emissions face persistent challenges among printed circuit board manufacturers, where demand for more advanced components is increasing energy consumption, according to DigiTimes. The report says requirements from Apple and Google are prompting suppliers to publish sustainability reports, buy more renewable electricity, and work with their own suppliers to ...
Latest Stories
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
1 hour ago
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
2 hours ago
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
2 hours ago
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
3 hours ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
3 hours ago
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
3 hours ago
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
4 hours ago
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
4 hours ago
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
4 hours ago
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
5 hours ago
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
6 hours ago
iPhone Duo Owners Can't Change Display Zoom After Setup
iPhone Duo Owners Can't Change Display Zoom After Setup
2 hours ago
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
9 hours ago
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
9 hours ago
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
1 day ago
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
1 day ago
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
1 day ago
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
1 day ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
2 days ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
2 days ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
2 days ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
2 days ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
3 days ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
3 days ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
3 days ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
3 days ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
3 days ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
3 days ago