4.8 million Nokia smartphones were shipped in Q2 2019, a 20% YoY growth

A few days ago, Counterpoint Research released its quarterly report, detailing sales numbers across the board in the smartphone industry. While most OEMs saw little to no growth, others like Apple saw notable decline. A select few saw growth, and HMD Global was one of them.

The Finnish company shipped 4.8 million units in Q2 2019. Over the same period in 2018, 4 million units were shipped, and that translates into a 20% year-on-year growth. Global market share also rose from 1.1% to 1.3%.

HMD Global joined the smartphone game in 2017 and has seen plenty of success since then. The company has embraced the Android One program, with all of its devices being Android One offerings. That makes Nokia devices the first port of call for those who value stock Android and fast updates. There's also the fact that the company has mostly focused on the mid-range, relatively high-value devices.

While HMD Global's numbers are impressive in a vacuum, some context is needed. Shipping less than a million more devices year-on-year isn't all that outstanding, especially considering the massive goodwill and hype that came with the brand's reinvention back in 2017. Nokia devices have received plenty of flak for poor, unoptimized software. That should be cause for concern considering software is supposed to be a USP of the devices. 

Anti-consumer policies with bootloader unlocks haven't exactly helped the company's public image either, especially with the enthusiast crowd. There's a feeling that the company has declined over the last half-year and relatively unsuccessful releases like the Nokia 9 PureView haven't done much to change that perception. Hopefully, we see a rejuvenated HMD Global in the second half of the year.