Fifty per cent of smartphone manufacturers increased their sales in the second quarter of the year, with the notable exception of Apple.
Asian manufacturers Samung, Huawei and Oppo all increased their market share at the expense of the Cupertino firm, which saw a 7.7% decline in sales during Q2 2016, according to the latest figures from analyst house Gartner.
Samsung came out as the overall leader, taking 22.3% of the marketshare, while Apple's fell from 14.6% to 12.9%.
However, Gartner explained this was because demand for premium smartphones such as the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus declined, allowing Samung, Huawei and Oppo's lower-end devices to pick up the slack. The company's analysts expect Apple to bounce back in the next quarter when it releases the iPhone 7.
"Demand for premium smartphones slowed in the second quarter of 2016 as consumers wait for new hardware launches in the second half of the year," saidAnshul Gupta, research director at Gartner.
The one surprising success was budget manufacturer Oppo. Although the company is not well known, its technologies are far beyond some of the market leaders and this is causing a shift in markets outside of the UK.
"Features such as an anti-shake camera optimised for selfies, and rapid charge technology, helped Oppo carve a niche market for itself and boost sales in a highly competitive and commoditized smartphone market," Gupta added.
Another reason Huawei and Samsung managed to do so well, according to the analysts, is because Android is evolving faster than iOS, making it an attractive option for customers around the world.
"[This] allows Android players to remain at the cutting edge of smartphone technology," saidRoberta Cozza, research director at Gartner.
"Facing a highly commoditised smartphone market, Google's focus is to further expand and diversify the Android platform with additional functionalities, like virtual reality, enabling more-intelligent experiences and reach into wearables, connected home devices, in-car entertainment and TV."
