The worldwide smartphone market reached yet another milestone, having shipped one billion units in a single year for the first time. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 1,004.2 million smartphones worldwide, up 38.4% from the 725.3 million units in 2012. This aligns with IDC's most recent forecast of 1,010.4 million units, making for a difference of less than 1%. Smartphones accounted for 55.1% of all mobile phone shipments in 2013, up from the 41.7% of all mobile phone shipments in 2012. In the fourth quarter of 2013 (4Q13), vendors shipped a total of 284.4 million smartphones worldwide, up 24.2% from the 229.0 million units shipped in 4Q12.

In the worldwide mobile phone market (inclusive of smartphones), vendors shipped 1,821.8 million units, up 4.8% from the 1,738.1 million units shipped 2012. In 4Q13 alone, vendors shipped a total of 488.4 million units worldwide, up 0.9% from the 484.0 million units shipped in 4Q12. This is 2.8% lower than the 502.4 million units that IDC had recently forecast.

"The sheer volume and strong growth attest to the smartphone's continued popularity in 2013," says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phoneteam. "Total smartphone shipments reached 494.4 million units worldwide in 2011, and doubling that volume in just two years demonstrates strong end-user demand and vendor strategies to highlight smartphones."

"Among the top trends driving smartphone growth are large screen devices and low cost," said Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "Of the two, I have to say that low cost is the key difference maker. Cheap devices are not the attractive segment that normally grabs headlines, but IDC data shows this is the portion of the market that is driving volume. Markets like China and India are quickly moving toward a point where sub-$150 smartphones are the majority of shipments, bringing a solid computing experience to the hands of many.

Smartphone Vendor Highlights:

Samsung ended the quarter the same way it began the year: as the clear leader in worldwide smartphone shipments. But even with sustained demand for its Galaxy S III, S4, and Note models, as well as its deep selection of mid-range and entry-level models, the company realized a decline compared to the previous quarter. Nevertheless, the company maintained a sizable double-digit lead over the next vendor.

Apple posted record shipment volume during 4Q13, driven primarily by the addition of multiple countries offering the iPhone 5S and 5C, and sustained demand from its initial markets that saw these models launch at the end of 3Q13. Still, Apple had the lowest year-on-year increase of all the leading vendors. Now that Apple has finally arrived at China Mobile, it remains to be seen how much Apple will close the gap against Samsung in 2014.

Huawei maintained its number three position worldwide, attained the highest year-on-year increase among the leading vendors, and raised its brand profile with a higher proportion of self-branded units compared to the ODM work it had done for other companies. Still, even with its success, Huawei faces a crowded group of potential competitors within striking distance.

Lenovo, despite having no presence in North America nor Western Europe, finished the quarter in the number four position. The company's strength lies in its strong presence within key emerging markets and a well-segmented product portfolio spanning from simple, affordable smartphones to full-featured 5" screen models. Should the company become successful at branching into more developed markets in 2014, it could challenge Huawei for the number three spot.

LG finished just behind Lenovo and edged out ZTE for the number five position, with just five million units separating the two companies. At the same time, its year-on-year improvement put the company on par with Huawei and Lenovo with market beating growth. LG's success can be directly attributed to its revived portfolio from a year ago, which featured more large-screen and high-end models, including the Nexus 5 and its Optimus G series.

Top Five Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 (Units in Millions)

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, January 27, 2014

Top Five Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q4 (Units in Millions)

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, January 27, 2014

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 (Units in Millions)

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, January 27, 2014

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2013 Q3 (Units in Millions)

Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, January 27, 2014

Note: Data are preliminary and subject to change. Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.

IDC, 지난해 전세계 스마트폰 출하량 10억대 넘어서

-  2011년 4억 9440만대였던 스마트폰 출하량 규모, 2년만에 두배로 증가

28 January 2014 - 지난해 전세계 스마트폰 출하량이 처음으로 10억대를 넘어서며 또 하나의 기록을 세운 것으로 나타났다.  IT 시장 분석 기관인IDC의 ' Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker' 예비 조사 결과에 의하면, 2013년 전세계 스마트폰 출하량은 2012년(7억 2530만대) 대비 38.4% 증가하며 10억 420만대를 기록한 것으로 나타났다. 전체 휴대폰 출하량에서 스마트폰이 차지하는 비중도 2012년 41.7%에서 2013년 절반을 넘어서며 55.1%의 비중을 차지했다.

2013년 4분기 출하량 규모는 2억 8440만대로 2012년 4분기의 2억 2900만대 대비해 24.2% 증가한 것으로 나타났다.

2013년 스마트폰을 포함한 전체 휴대폰 출하량 규모는 2012년 17억3810만대에서 4.8% 성장한 18억 2180만대를 기록한 것으로 조사되었다. 2013년 4분기 전체 휴대폰 출하량은 2012년 4분기(4억8400만대) 대비 0.9% 성장한 4억8840만대로 규모로 나타났다.

IDC 모바일폰 연구팀의 라몬 라마스(Ramon Llamas) 리서치 매니저는 "스마트폰의 인기와 성장세가 2013년에도 지속되었다"며, "2011년 4억 9440만대였던 스마트폰 출하량 규모가 불과 2년만에 두배로 증가했다는 것은 소비자들의 강한 수요와 더불어 제조사들의 스마트폰 전략이 얼마나 집중되었는지 알수 있다"고 설명했다.

한편, IDC의 리안 리스(Ryan Reith) 모바일폰 프로그램 담당 이사는 "스마트폰의  성장을 이끄는 주요 요인은 대형 화면과 저렴한 가격" 이라며, 특히 저렴한 가격이 구매에 가장 큰 영향을 미친다고 설명했다. 중국 및 인도와 신흥시장에서 150달러 이하 스마트폰 시장이 급속도로 확산되며 출하량을 견인하고 있는 가운데, 많은 사람들에게 손안의 컴퓨팅 경험을 가져다 주고 있다고 덧붙였다.