Huawei might not be the most popular smartphone manufacturer out there, but it has managed to capture huge market share in the last year or so, becoming the world’s third biggest phone vendor in Q1 2014, behind Samsung and Apple. The company has published its performance results for the first half of 2014, and all signs point towards a continued growth in the coming months. Huawei shipped a total of 34.27 million smartphone units in the first six months, a year-on-year growth increase of 62 percent. Around 20 million of those smartphones were shipped in Q2 alone [Ed note: impressive, considering that LG “only” sold 14.5 million smartphones in Q2 2014] , an increase of 85 percent compared to last year. The launch of high-end, 4G LTE-enabled smartphones is being touted as a big reason behind the growth spurt, including devices like the Mate 2 4G and Ascend P7. According to data from some European operators, the Ascend P7 “tops the list of the premium smartphone brands currently in the market” and nearly two million units of the device were shipped in 70 markets in under two months. That might seem like a small figure in the grand scheme of things, but it’s an impressive one given the P7 was launched at a time when more popular handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S5 continue to draw consumers. When broken down into specific markets, Huawei pulled off some major feats thanks to increased branding and marketing efforts. Its shipment figures grew by 550 percent in the Middle East and Africa, 275 percent in Latin America, 180 percent in Asia-Pacific and 120 percent in Europe. Smaller brands like Huawei and other Chinese OEMs have been steadily gaining traction in major markets around the world, and it looks like Huawei has steadily hoisted itself as the largest of them all, at least as far as shipments are concerned.
