Samsung is the world’s top smartphone seller again

Samsung has recovered the top position in the global smartphone market, according to a Strategy Analytics report covering Q1 2015.

Samsung has lost the sales leadership to Apple in Q4 2014, according to some research firms, while in Strategy Analytics’ estimation the two companies tied for the first place with a 19.6 percent market share. Blowout iPhone 6 sales have helped Apple interrupt Samsung’s years-long run at the top, but it didn’t take long for Samsung to recover.

Samsung has shipped an estimate 83.2 million smartphones in Q1 2015, compared to 74.5 million in the previous quarter. Combined with Apple’s slowdown (61.2 million, compared to 74.5 million in the previous quarter), that gave Samsung a market share of 24.1 percent, a significant lead over Apple’s 17.7 percent.

Samsung’s jump comes despite the fact that Q1 is typically slower than Q4, and despite of strong competition from Apple at the high-end, and Chinese brands in the mid- and low-end.

Coming in third in Strategy Analytics’ ranking is Lenovo–Motorola with 5.4 percent, while Huawei ranked fourth, with 5 percent. All other players are lumped in the “others” group (47.7 percent).

Looking at the shifts in market shares quarter over quarter, Samsung is the only top player that has gained share, seemingly at the expense of everyone else. That’s good news for the embattled company, though Samsung also needs the average selling price of its phones to increase in order to return to growth. Samsung just announced its Q1 2015 results today, and ASP has actually decreased, which took its toll on revenue.

All eyes are now on the performance of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Signs are very positive so far, so Samsung will likely preserve its dominance in the quarters to come. But while profits may recover as well, it’s safe to say that the days of explosive growth are over for Samsung.