Samsung is poised to secure the leadership in the smartphone market this year, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics data cited by Yonhap. The South Korean firm is projected to ship 323 million in 2019, grabbing the highest market share at 21.3 percent.

ALSO ON RT.COMGerman telecom chooses China’s Huawei to build its 5G network despite US pressureHowever, Huawei is closing in on the world’s top smartphone manufacturer. The Chinese major is set to supply 251 million units, accounting for up to 17.7 percent of the smartphone market this year – up sharply from 14.4 percent in 2018 – making the gap between the two majors 3.6 percent, down from last year’s 5.9 percent.

The Chinese tech behemoth managed to improve its performance despite Washington’s ban which has affected sales in the US and Europe. The company has managed to offset the losses with a strong performance at home, according to the report.

Apple also made the top three, holding on to third place, after losing the second spot to Huawei last year. The iPhone maker is expected to ship less units than it did in 2018, accounting for 13.6 percent market share with 193 million units.

ALSO ON RT.COMPortugal latest country refusing US demand to bar Huawei from 5G network