Samsung remained the global smartphone market share leader...

Samsung remained the global smartphone market share leader in Q1 this year, as its shipments grew to 85 million from 69.7 million in Q1 last year, IDC said Wednesday. But Samsung’s share slipped to 30.2 percent from 31.9 percent in Q1 last year. Apple remained firmly No. 2, as its shipments increased to 43.7 million from 37.4 million, but its share dipped to 15.5 percent from 17.1 percent. Samsung started 2014 exactly where it started and finished 2013, as the “undisputed” global leader in the smartphone market, said IDC. By March 31, Samsung had shipped more smartphones than the next four vendors combined, said the research company. Although Samsung “relied” on its high-end smartphones within mature markets and its “deep” selection of entry- and mid-range models in emerging markets, Samsung also launched its flagship Galaxy S5 within select markets, said IDC. Apple achieved a new Q1 record by passing 40 million units, said IDC. The manufacturer had double-digit growth in Japan and across multiple developing markets, including Brazil, China, India and Indonesia, said IDC. But it had the weakest year-over-year growth among the top five smartphone vendors, who also included Huawei, Lenovo and LG, said IDC. It remained to be seen when -- “not if” -- Apple’s rumored large-screen models will ship, said IDC. Those models would be “filling a gap in the company’s portfolio that has been exploited by the competition,” said the research company. Despite growing their smartphone shipments in Q1, Huawei, Lenovo and LG continued to have single-digit shares, with LG’s slipping to 4.4 percent from 4.7 percent, said IDC. Huawei smartphone shipments grew to 13.7 million from 9.3 million, while its share grew to 4.9 percent from 4.3 percent. Lenovo’s shipments grew to 12.9 million from 7.9 million and its share increased to 4.6 percent from 3.6 percent. LG’s shipments jumped to 12.3 million from 10.3 million. Smartphone shipments from other manufacturers soared to 113.9 million from 84.2 million. Huawei’s goal for 2014 is to ship 80 million smartphones globally, and contributing to that is the company’s growing emphasis on large-screen models, said IDC. Huawei’s latest model, the Ascend Mate 2 4G, has a 6.1-inch screen, one of the largest in the industry, said IDC. Lenovo’s ability to score the largest year-over-year growth among the top five smartphone vendors was helped by continued success in Asia-Pacific despite its “nominal presence” in other markets, said IDC. The minimal presence outside Asia will “quickly change” after Lenovo’s purchase of Motorola Mobility from Google is finalized, giving Lenovo a “footprint” in markets including North America and Western Europe where it has been “notably absent,” said IDC. Total Q1 global smartphone shipments grew 28.6 percent from Q1 last year to 281.5 million units, said IDC. The smartphone market started 2014 with an “expected retrenchment” from strong holiday quarter shipment volumes despite the year-over-year growth, it said. Shipments declined 2.8 percent from Q4. But the Q1 results beat IDC’s forecast of 267.2 million units by 5.3 percent, it said.