Global smartphone demand at record third-quarter high

Demand for new smartphones in Western Europe is in decline whilst Latin America records a sharp rise over the summer

The UK saw an 8 per cent drop in smartphone sales over the summer (Getty)

Demand for smartphones hit almost 367 million units in the three months to the end of September, marking a record for the third quarter of any year.

According to market research firm GfK, the number of smartphones sold rose 3 per cent in the third quarter over the same three-month period last year.

By region, Latin America recorded the biggest rise in demand for smartphones with almost 28 million sold, representing an 11 per cent increase year-on-year, whilst demand also grew sharply in Central and Eastern Europe where 22.3 million smartphones were sold, up 9 per cent from the same period in 2016.

The rising popularity of smartphones in both regions helped offset declining sales in Western Europe, where sales fell 7 per cent to 30 million.

Both the UK and France experienced an 8 per cent drop in smartphone sales, though the value of sales rose 4 per cent year-on-year, thanks to a rise in the price per unit.

GfK found that consumers in Western European countries are increasingly shifting towards more high-end smartphones. One out of eight smartphones is now sold for over $900 (£682).

Demand for smartphones in China rose 20 per cent in the third quarter, with 117 million units sold.

A total of 464 million phones are expected to be sold in China by the end of 2017, said GfK.

Some of Asia’s developing countries – such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – recorded the biggest rise in revenue from smartphone sales compared to any other region around the world.

“The industry has clearly been switching its focus to drive sales value, and top tier global brands, such as Apple, Google, HTC, Huawei, LG, Moto, Nokia, Samsung and Sony, either already have, or will release, new premium models in an effort to upsell customers to their flagship devices”, said Arndt Polifke, global director of telecom research at GfK.

He added that customers increasingly value premium features, such as water and dust protection, phone memory, sound and camera quality.