Strong Year for Huawei in the GlobalWebIndex Smartphone Report

In its latest Devices report, GlobalWebIndex has investigated which hardware brands are leading global markets and how often consumers are upgrading their smartphones.

Despite each tech company regularly bringing out new models, smartphone owners don’t tend to rush into buying a new device.  Only 20% of the participants had purchased a new phone in the last six months, with 27% anticipating they’ll upgrade in the next half a year.

Furthermore, 22% of Europeans and North Americans have had their current mobile phone for at least two years.

Apple appears to be the hardest hit by this relaxed trend as it saw poor iPhone X sales in India and China, two of its biggest markets.

Huawei has now caught up with Apple in the Chinese smartphone market, with the two tech giants each holding a 28% share.

Meanwhile, consumers in India are more than twice as likely to own a Samsung phone versus an Apple phone.

The report found that 67% of users view their smartphone as their most important device. The average consumer spends more than three hours per day on their smartphone.

The most popular smartphone activity was browsing social media – a finding reflected in the revenue rankings for iOS apps this year.

Read the full report here.