Chinese telco giant Huawei made its latest, and greatest, move in its quest for premium smartphone credibility today with the launch of the Ascend P6, which was attended by our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service.

Early hands-on time with the device reveals a very thin and light 4.7-inch premium smartphone that is a distinct step up in terms of industrial design from the P1 and P2. The reason for the numerical jump in the name is to draw attention to the fact that it is a mere 6.18mm thick. There is a metal strip around the edge that is very reminiscent of the current generation iPhone design, which is no bad thing.

While Huawei had to launch a device that was at least on a par with its competitors to generate buzz in the intensely competitive flagship handset space, the best way to grow the brand is for end-users to have the device in their hands. The Huawei handset brand is still in its infancy, so the smart move is to also be aggressive on price, which is exactly what Huawei has done by pricing the Ascend P6 at €449, which should equate to contract prices as low as £21 per month - considerably lower than most of its competitors.

The Huawei Ascend P6 will be available in China tomorrow, and apparently has unprecedented preorder levels, while Europe will first get its hands on it in early July. Most major operators and retailers are said to be not just stocking it, but putting some marketing weight behind it, so this has all the signs of being Huawei’s biggest handset launch to date, and could be of significant assistance in Huawei’s quest for premium smartphone credibility.

Huawei's position in the global and regional smartphone rankings is detailed in the following WSS report: Global Smartphone Vendor Market Share by Region: Q1 2013. 

Apple iOS has reached a fork in the strategic road. Should Apple continue along its current path and do nothing? Or should Apple downscale and upscale into smaller and bigger screens? Extensive analysis and forecasts of Apple iOS sales for 88 countries can be downloaded by clients in this published report, from our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service.

According to our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, smartphone sales volumes will surge +56% in Africa Middle East this year. The rate of growth in Africa is almost two times higher than the global average. Growth will be driven by first-time buyers and 2G handset upgraders in major countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. More details can be viewed by clients in this published report, which forecasts worldwide smartphone sales for 88 countries globally, including Brazil, Spain, Russia and others.

According to our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, smartphone sales volumes will surge +69% in India this year. The rate of growth in India is two times higher than the global average. Growth will be driven by a wave of low-cost Android and Microsoft models for prepaid users from companies like Samsung, Micromax and Nokia. More details can be viewed by clients in this published report, which forecasts worldwide smartphone sales for 88 countries globally, including India, China, US and others.

According to our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, global smartphone sales will grow by +33% in 2013. Asia Pacific will remain the largest region, accounting for half of global smartphone sales in 2013. The two largest countries by far in 2013 will be the USA and China. This published report, available to clients, forecasts global smartphone sales, for 88 countries worldwide, from 2007 to 2017. Almost every major country worldwide is covered, including United States, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. This report can be used by operators, software developers, content developers, handset vendors, component makers, car manufacturers and other stakeholders to determine the size and growth rate of the huge global smartphone market.

Strategy Analytics is proud to be an official research partner of the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show.

The huge and influential MWC show takes place in Barcelona, Spain, between Monday 25th to Thursday 28th February, 2013.

Strategy Analytics will be sending multiple analysts and consultants to this year's MWC show in Barcelona. If you would like to brief our analysts in our mobile phone, smartphone and tablet services, or to arrange formal / informal meetings with us, please contact us through this dedicated link on our website. We look forward to the possibility of meeting you in sunny Barcelona.

According to our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, Microsoft Windows Phone overtook BlackBerry OS to become the third largest smartphone platform in the influential United States market during Q4 2012. It was the first time Microsoft has surpassed Blackberry since 2006. Meanwhile, Android lost share in annual terms in the US for the first time ever. Are we now at “peak Android”? More analysis can be downloaded by clients here.

Strategy Analytics is proud to be an official research partner of the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show.

The huge and influential MWC show takes place in Barcelona, Spain, between Monday 25th to Thursday 28th February, 2013.

Strategy Analytics will be sending multiple analysts and consultants to this year's MWC show in Barcelona. If you would like to brief our analysts in our mobile phone, smartphone and tablet services, or to arrange formal / informal meetings with us, please contact us through this dedicated link on our website. We look forward to the possibility of meeting you in sunny Barcelona.

According to the latest research from our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually to reach 217 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012. Android and Apple iOS together accounted for a record 92 percent share of all smartphones shipped worldwide.<

Global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually from 157.0 million units in Q4 2011 to 217.0 million in Q4 2012. Global smartphone shipments for the full year reached a record 700.1 million units in 2012, increasing robustly from 490.5 million units in 2011. Global shipment growth slowed from 64 percent in 2011 to 43 percent in 2012 as penetration of smartphones began to mature in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe.

We estimate 152.1 million Android smartphones were shipped globally in Q4 2012, nearly doubling from 80.6 million units in Q4 2011. Android’s share of the global smartphone market has surged from 51 percent to 70 percent over the past year, crushing Symbian, Bada and other platforms in its wake. Almost half-a-billion Android smartphones were shipped in total worldwide during 2012. Android is clearly the undisputed volume leader of the smartphone industry at the present time. Android’s challenge for 2013 will be to defend its leadership, not only against Apple, but also against an emerging wave of hungry challengers that includes Microsoft, Blackberry, Firefox and Tizen.

Apple grew 29 percent annually and shipped 47.8 million smartphones worldwide for 22 percent marketshare in Q4 2012, dipping slightly from 24 percent a year earlier. Combined together, Apple and Android accounted for a record 92 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally in the fourth quarter of 2012. The worldwide smartphone industry has effectively become a duopoly as consumer demand has polarized around mass-market Android models and premium Apple designs.

Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2012 [1]

Strategy Analytics is proud to be an official research partner of the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show.

The huge and influential MWC show takes place in Barcelona, Spain, between Monday 25th to Thursday 28th February, 2013.

Strategy Analytics will be sending multiple analysts and consultants to this year's MWC show in Barcelona. If you would like to brief our analysts or consultants, or to arrange formal / informal meetings with us, please contact us through this dedicated link on our website. We look forward to the possibility of meeting you in sunny Barcelona.