Cairo – Decypha: After three consecutive quarters of declines, the GCC mobile phone market saw an increase in Q4-16, recording total shipments of 5.98 million units, a 7.7% increase in comparison to the previous quarter, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), a global technology research and consulting firm.
In terms of year on year (YoY) however, shipment figures showed a decline of 30.5%.
"Saudi Arabia, which had suffered the worst declines in Q3, saw a reversal of fortunes in Q4 by posting the region's highest increase at 11.9%,” said Isaac T Ngatia, senior research analyst at IDC Middle East and Africa, reported Arabian Business.
For the UAE, the GCC's second-largest market, saw a 5% increase in comparison to the previous quarter.
In terms of brands, Samsung is leading the GCC smartphone market with around a 35% market share, according to IDC’s data. However, from the side of growth Apple recorded a 20% growth, making it the regions highest, and allowing the brand to secure a 23% market share in the region.
By Decypha News Editorial Team
