New York (AFP)

Global smartphone sales rose slightly in the third quarter of 2019, a first in two years, according to a study.

Smartphone purchases grew 2 percent over the same period last year, with 366 million devices sold, according to Strategy Analytics.

The South Korean manufacturer Samsung remains the world leader in this industry, the Chinese Huawei retains its second place despite US sanctions and Apple completes the podium, still according to Strategy Analystics.

"Global smartphone demand has rebounded thanks to strong vendor price competition and innovations such as larger displays and the 5G network," said Linda Sui, an analyst for the firm.

Samsung consolidated its position as the world leader by boosting its sales by 18% in the last quarter, with 78 million devices sold, and by establishing its market share at 21.3%.

Huawei surprised by selling 66 million devices (+ 29%), gaining 18.2% market share despite sanctions imposed by Washington that could make it more difficult to access crucial technologies and components.

The Chinese company, whose latest high-end smartphone launched in September is devoid of Google applications, has gained ground in its domestic market, according to Strategy Analytics.

The study says that sales of iPhone, they fell by 3% over last year, Apple has sold 45.6 million devices and occupying 12.4% of market share.

The apple brand, which reported its quarterly results on Wednesday, did not give its own figures on the number of iPhones sold in the world, but said the revenue from the sale of its famous smartphone was down 9.3%.

"Despite a slight decline, this has been the best growth performance since last year," commented analyst Woody Oh.

"We think Apple is stabilizing thanks to a cheaper iPhone 11 and more robust demand in Asia and the United States," he said.

According to the study, the Chinese Xiaomi (9% market share) and Oppo (8%) come fourth and fifth.

Other sellers, whose names are not mentioned, share the remaining 31% of market shares, according to Strategy Analytics.

© 2019 AFP