Huawei surpasses Apple to become world's second largest smartphone brand

Huawei surpasses Apple to become world's second largest smartphone brand

Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei has reached a major milestone - it has surpassed Apple's global smartphone sales to become the world's second largest smartphone brand. Huawei, which is China's leading smartphone maker, is now only behind Samsung in smartphone sales globally.

According to consulting firm Counterpoint Research, Huawei crossed Apple's global smartphone sales for the first time in June and July. The firm credits the company's aggressive and creative marketing as well as consistent investment in research and development as the reasons behind this achievement.

While figures for the month of August are yet to be released, Counterpoint believes that Huawei's sales for that month also look pretty strong. Huawei is set to face tough competition in the coming weeks though with the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8. Counterpoint believes that iPhone 8 sales are sure to bring Apple back to second position in September.

Huawei smartphones have become popular as of late thanks to competitive pricing, capable dual cameras, large displays and powerful specs. Counterpoint researchers believe that it might be difficult for Huawei to hold onto the second position for a myriad of reasons. They feel that the company's current line-up lacks a true hero device. Researchers at the firm believe that "while a diverse portfolio allows the company to fight on multiple fronts, it does little to build overall brand recognition".

The firm also believes that "Huawei's weak presence in the South Asian, Indian and North American market limits the company's potential to take a sustainable second position behind Samsung." Counterpoint believes that "Huawei is currently too dependent on its home market China and operator centric markets in Europe, Latin America and Middle East."

While Apple might have been displaced from the second spot in the overall sales rankings, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are still the world's best selling smartphones (according to Counterpoint's research). The Oppo R11 and Oppo A57 claim the third and fourth spot while the Samsung Galaxy S8 rounds out the top 5.