IDC issued preliminary figures showing global smartphone shipments grew 1 per cent year-on-year in Q2, offering some optimism despite a sequential drop due in part to volatility over US tariffs and a slower low-end segment.

Anthony Scarsella, research director for client devices, stated the 1 per cent growth is a critical indicator the market is poised grow.

In May, the research company slashed its full year forecast from 2.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent.

In its latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the company stated preliminary numbers show shipments of 295.2 million units in Q2.

“Economic uncertainty tends to compress demand at the lower end of the market, where price sensitivity is highest. As a result, low-end Android is witnessing a crunch weighing down overall market growth,” Nabila Popal, senior research director for Worldwide Client Devices, said.

She noted a lower-than-expected performance in China, with shipments down “as subsidies failed to stimulate demand”.

Popal noted Apple’s shipments in China fell 1 per cent despite it being the top brand during a promotional shopping period. The vendor booked “strong double-digit growth in emerging markets, leading to a 1.5 per cent growth globally”, Popal explained.

Samsung posted the highest growth with shipments increasing 7.9 percent to 58 million and Apple came in second with 46.4 million.

Xiaomi shipped 42.5 million, flat year-on-year.

Francisco Jeronimo, VP of client devices at IDC, noted Samsung’s growth was fuelled its new Galaxy A36 and A56 products, which introduced AI features to mid-range devices.

Jeronimo said “Q2 was packed with new models, featuring innovative designs and the powerful integration of AI, which drove the eighth consecutive quarter of growth, a feat we have not witnessed since 2013”.