Skip to main content

Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE make top five smartphone manufacturers list in late 2012

huawei-c8000-windows-mobile
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Canalys, a team of professional analysts, recently announced the top five smartphone manufacturers from the last three months of 2012. Not surprising, the two topping the list by a landslide are Samsung and Apple, with 29 and 22 percent of the market share, respectively.

What’s really surprising was seeing Sony foisted from its top five position, and the introduction of three growing Chinese companies: Huawei made its debut to the number three spot with just over five percent; ZTE landed at number four with just under five percent; and Lenovo just made the cut with around four and a half percent, growing 216 percent over the last year.

Based on these leaps, it also should be no surprise that China made up the bulk of all smartphone sales in 2012, accounting for an astounding 73 percent of all sales, a 33 percent increase from the year prior.

While Apple numbers may be impressive overall, the company has a long way to go before it has a chance to make iOS the dominant operating system around the world. While they make up 22 percent of the market, Android devices account for nearly 70 percent of all smartphones in the world.

Why the huge gap? iPhones have very little traction in the Chinese market, due to high price points and lack of compatibility with the country’s network. If Apple were to reimagine its business model for China, it could easily see increased profitability, and a steady decrease in the numbers separating iPhone from Android which, conversely, has a huge selection of affordable devices.

As for other phone operating systems, Blackberry came in at third with 3.5 percent of the market; Windows-based phones were at around 2.5 percent; and Nokia phones slid in with just 1.5 percent.

Editors' Recommendations

Joshua Pramis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Spending a childhood engrossed in such technologically inspiring television shows like Voltron, Small Wonder, and Power…
One of the biggest Oura Ring competitors just did something huge
The Ultrahuman Ring Air and the Oura Ring, resting on a table.

Ultrahuman, the maker of the Ultrahuman Ring Air, is making its way to U.S. production grounds. The company is setting up a production facility in Indiana, which will mark the first time a smart ring from Ultrahuman will be assembled from scratch on U.S. soil.

“The UltraFactory will offer an end-to-end production capability and is based on the company’s first operational model of such a facility in India,” the company says.

Read more
Best Verizon new customer deals: Galaxy S24, iPhone and more
Verizon logo on a smartphone screen in a dark room and a finger touching it.

If you’re in the market for one of the best phones, or any new phone for that matter, you’re going to need a good carrier. Verizon has long been one of the most popular options, as it boasts one of the most reliable networks in the United States. It offers some of the best cell phone plans out there, and for new customers Verizon also offers some pretty impressive discounts on new phones. In many cases this means you can brand new, recently released phones entirely for free when signing up with Verizon. And that’s the case right now, as we’re currently seeing some of the best Verizon new customer deals we’ve seen. You can pretty easily land a new iPhone, Samsung Galaxy phone, and Google Pixel for free, and we’ve got all of the details on how to do so. If that sounds enticing, read onward and start shopping the best Verizon new customer deals available right now.
Free iPhone SE (3rd Gen)

The 2022 release of the Apple iPhone SE is yours for free when you sign up for a new 5G data plan on Verizon -- no trade-ins required. It's the best small smartphone in our list of the best smartphones with a 4.7-inch Liquid Retina display, but it doesn't sacrifice performance as it's powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip that's also found in the iPhone 13 line and pre-installed with iOS 15. The latest iPhone SE is equipped with a single 12MP rear sensor and 7MP selfie camera, which are boosted by Apple's software to enable better photographs.

Read more
AirTags range: here’s how far the tracker can reach
An AirTag attached on a keyring

Apple AirTags are a helpful tool for tracking valuable possessions like wallets, keys, luggage, and backpacks. These tags employ various technologies that allow you to track your items from short and long distances using your compatible Apple device, such as an iPhone 15 Plus. You might wonder how far you can track your items with AirTags. It's time to find out.
AirTags range, explained

The range of AirTags varies depending on the method you use to locate them. A Bluetooth connection will work when your AirTags are close to your supported Apple device. Otherwise, Apple's Find My network is utilized. Luckily, you don't have to choose the method because it's selected behind the scenes automatically.

Read more