At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas, Huawei announced it exceeded its 2015 smartphone shipment targets of 100 million units– shipping 108 million smartphone units in 2015.
This represented a 44 percent increase from the previous year – becoming the leading Chinese smartphone manufacturer to top the 108 million milestone. Additionally, Huawei’s revenue exceeded $20 billion USD in 2015, nearly a 70 percent increase from 2014.
With Huawei shipping 108 million smartphones in 2015 to countries including Trinidad and Tobago, the company cemented its position among the top three in market share, while significantly reducing the competition gap. Additionally, Huawei has held the highest market share in China since March 2015, during which it launched two premium smartphones, the P8 and Mate S. Along with its breakthrough in China, Huawei experienced great success in global markets.
Huawei’s outstanding business performance can be attributed to its tremendous investment in innovation and R&D. Huawei has established 16 research laboratories around the world, including locations in China, Germany, Sweden, Russia and India. In 2014, Huawei invested 14.2 percent of its annual revenue in R&D while securing 76,687 patents, 18,000 of which apply to Huawei devices.
Huawei has applied its self-developed innovation to its latest products, enabling people to have amazing experiences using the devices. For example, Huawei invested $98 million USD over three years and established a research team in France to create the first Huawei-developed ISP for the Mate 8.
This enabled users to take better photos with faster focus, enhanced clarity and a more accurate color shade. Additionally, the Press Touch technology introduced in the Mate S broke the tradition of two-dimensional touch-screen control and launched a new era of interaction between humans and machines. Furthermore, Huawei’s Fingerprint 2.0 technology increased recognition speed by 100 percent, while the Knuckle operation was well-received by users.
In western Europe, Huawei’s market share in the high-end smartphone market (phones priced between 400 to 500 Euros) achieved outstanding results, and the company ranked in the top three in market share in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal and several other countries.
Other notable company achievements…
- Huawei was ranked 88th in Interbrand’s Top 100 Global Brands list, an increase from 94th in 2014.
- Huawei was named the 70th most valuable global brand according to the the BrandZ 100 list.
- According to a report by the world-renowned research institution IPSOS, Huawei ranked first in brand awareness growth, jumping from 65 percent in 2014 to 76 percent in 2015, with more than 75 percent of consumers now aware of Huawei’s smartphones.
- Brand awareness significantly increased in European countries year-over-year: Portugal (87 percent); Italy (82 percent); Spain (79 percent); Netherlands (73 percent); Germany (68 percent).
- As Huawei’s brand awareness in key global markets increased, its Net Promoter Score (NPS) grew to 47, ranking third globally.
- Global shipments of the P8 reached 4.5 million, while the device received significant accolades, including: “Best Recommendation Award” from north European Ljud & Bild; “White Gold Award” from Danish Tech-Test; “Recommended Product Award” from top Norwegian review website Dinside.
- More than 7 million Mate 7 smartphones were shipped in 2015, while the device won “BEST of IFA 2014” and received awards from Android Authority, GSM Arena, and Tom’s Guide.
- Mate S shipments exceeded 800,000 within four months of its release, with sales occurring in 48 countries in Asia and Europe. It also won 9 global awards, including “BEST of IFA 2015” from both Global Technology Media GIGA and AndroidPIT.
- The Huawei Nexus 6P, produced in collaboration with Google, had a strong breakthrough in North America, selling out in the Google store within a month after its release. Globally, the Nexus 6P was sold in more than 60 countries and regions, instantly becoming a popular product and receiving excellent reviews from the technology media. It was also a finalist in “Holiday Season Recommendation”, “Editor’s Choice” and “Best of 2015” by gaining strong recommendations from various mainstream media, showcasing Huawei’s strong technology development, product design and manufacturing skills.
In 2016, Huawei will continue its spirit of winning collaboration by partnering with the industry’s top brands in various industries, ranging from flagship products, the smart home to cloud services. Through advanced technology, innovation and collaboration, Huawei will continue to deliver leading technology products to its customers. The ongoing integration between future direction of consumer devices and partners’ advanced technology will result in new, cutting edge products and amazing user experiences.