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A Xiaomi store in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Bloomberg

Global smartphone shipments rose 4% in the third quarter to 316.1 million units, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of growth despite economic headwinds, according to research firm IDC.

Xiaomi held on to third place with 42.8 million units shipped. Oppo came in fourth with 28.8 million units, up nearly 6% year-on-year. Vivo completed the top five with the fastest growth, nearly 23%, to 27 million units.

Apple – facing fierce competition in China – remained the runner-up with sales up 3.5% to 56 million units, corresponding to a market share of less than 18%.

The iPhone maker benefited from strong demand for older iPhone models and the newly released iPhone 16, according to Nabila Popal, research director for global devices at IDC.

Analyst Runar Bjørhovde of research firm Canalys pointed out that Apple's third quarter sales were at a record high and had never been so close to the number 1 position in the market.

Canalys estimates Apple’s market share at around 18%, just behind leader Samsung. The firm predicts the iPhone 16 will help the “bitten apple” gain momentum in 2025, especially as Apple Intelligence expands into new markets and supports more languages.

Samsung was the only company in the top five to see a decline in sales, selling 57.8 million units in the period, down 2.8 percent from a year earlier, according to IDC.

According to Canalys analyst Le Xuan Chiew, the global smartphone market grew by 5% and the gap between the top 5 manufacturers narrowed, showing increasing competition.

(According to SCMP)