The recovery was led almost entirely by Apple and Samsung. Analysts say both manufacturers have mastered the art of driving upgrades by combining hardware innovation with creative financing and trade-in schemes.

“OEMs have combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make upgrading a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC. 

“The accelerated demand for the latest AI products is expected to lead to a strong finish for 2025,” added Anthony Scarsella, research director for mobile phones at IDC. “Apple and Samsung remain firmly in control of the upgrade cycle.”

Apple delivered its best-ever July quarter, fuelled by strong demand for the new iPhone 17 series, while Samsung recorded record July-quarter growth thanks to its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 devices, tthe strongest performance yet for its foldables range.

“Despite economic uncertainty, the smartphone market showed resilience,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for client devices at IDC. “Apple and Samsung performed exceptionally well in the premium segment, while affordable AI-enabled smartphones spurred upgrades in more cost-conscious categories.”

The rest of the industry saw mixed fortunes. Xiaomi consolidated its recovery in Europe and Latin America through its Redmi and Poco ranges. Transsion continued rapid expansion in Africa’s sub-$200 segment. Vivo regained share in emerging markets thanks to refreshed mid-tier AI-powered models.

IDC expects the market’s momentum to continue into Q4, driven by sustained demand for AI-enabled smartphones and aggressive pricing from leading vendors.

The series features Leica Summilux optical lenses and is powered by Xiaomi HyperOS 2, said to offer system performance improvements, enhanced connectivity, and AI capabilities.

Xiaomi also introduced Xiaomi Pad 7, Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro, Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro, Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro (Wi-Fi), Xiaomi Watch S4, Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 Max, and a new color variant of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro.

Camera and Display Enhancements

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra resembles a Leica camera with a smarthphone function . It features a 6.73-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 3200 nits, Always-on Display and an improved ultrasonic fingerprint sensor proctected by Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 for better drop resistance, a high-strength aluminum frame, and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for camera protection.

The Leica Summilux lens. Its 23mm main camera features a 50MP Sony LYT-900 sensor, an ƒ/1.63 aperture, and a high dynamic range. The telephoto camera provides a 70mm focal length with macro capabilities, while a 100mm Leica 200MP ultra telephoto camera allows for extended zoom. A 14mm Leica ultra-wide camera is for landscape and group shots For video the Xiaomi 15 Ultra supports 4K at 120fps with Dolby Vision video and with multiple directional options.

Photography Kit 

Xiaomi also introduced the Xiaomi 15 Ultra Photography Kit Legend Edition, which includes a red decorative ring, a custom UI for Fastshot mode, detachable thumb support and shutter buttons, a multifunctional 67mm filter adapter, and a 2000mAh battery.

Fastshot mode has a capture speed of 0.6 seconds. Xiaomi Master Videography provides 8K recording at 30fps and Dolby Vision 4K 60fps. The 4-Mic array supports spatial audio recording.

The Xiaomi 15 features a compact 6.36-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display (2670 x 1200 resolution, 460 ppi) with a 3200 nits peak brightness. It utilizes a Xiaomi-custom M9 display panel for a 10% reduction in power consumption. TÜV Rheinland certification ensures reduced blue light exposure, flicker-free operation, and DC dimming for eye comfort.

Xiaomi HyperOS 2

The Xiaomi 15 Series runs on Xiaomi HyperOS 2, incorporating Xiaomi HyperCore, Xiaomi HyperConnect, and Xiaomi HyperAI for improved functionality, security, and AI-driven tools. HyperAI enhances productivity with AI Writing, AI Speech Recognition, and AI Creativity Assistant, including AI Image Enhancement, AI Eraser Pro, and AI Reflection Removal.

A collaboration with Google integrates Google Gemini into Xiaomi Notes, Calendar, and Clock. Xiaomi HyperCore optimizes system performance and introduces a new lock screen design with updated motion effects.

Xiaomi says HyperConnect improves cross-device functionality, including support for tablets and macOS/iOS platforms. Cross-device Camera allows users to access another device’s camera remotely, while Combined Cameras integrate multiple device feeds for events or tutorial recordings.

The Xiaomi 15 Series and accompanying devices aim to deliver upgraded photography, videography, and AI-driven performance within an optimized system environment.

The Xiaomi 14, has a more compact design with a triple-camera setup and Leica Summilux lenses

Xiaomi 14 (256Gb) will cost £849. Anyone who buys one before the end of March will get free Xiaomi Pad 6 and Xiaomi Band 8 Pro Xiaomi 14 (512Gb) will cost £899

Both the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform and feature advanced cooling systems and longer-lasting batteries

As well as state-of-art lenses the 1r4 Series also has AI models integrated into applications. AI Subtitles offer real-time transcriptions during video conferences, while AI Album Search uses natural language processing to help users find specific images in their photo libraries by describing them. AI Portraits incorporate algorithms to generate portrait compositions from existing images, and AI Expansion enables realistic extensions of image content.

The Xiaomi 14 Series features Leica Summilux optics for improved image quality and design. Xiaomi also introduced the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4, Xiaomi Watch S3, Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro, and Xiaomi Watch 2.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra claims to have professional-grade photography capabilities and features a circular camera module and a flat back design. The phone is made of aluminium and nano-tech vegan leather

A quad-camera system is capable of shooting in 8K resolution. It also introduces new features such as Movie mode for cinematic video recording and MasterCinema for HDR video encoding. Additionally, Xiaomi offers a Photography Kit comprising a special grip and case.

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Xiaomi willprovide robust R&D support for the Institute. Currently, three major laboratories are planned in Beijing, with focuses on Camera Hardware, Imaging, and Objective and Subjective Image Quality Evaluation. Covering a total area of 2,644 square meters, Xiaomi says these facilities will be amongst the best, largest, and most automated camera laboratories.

The institute’s focus (pun intended) is on setting new industry standards for optical performance in smartphones. Their flagship product, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, is claimed to have “unparalleled mobile imaging” with its advanced optical capabilities, when it is released soon.

More than 200 experts under the leadership of optical designer Peter Karbe and Xiaomi’s Zeng Xuezong, will develop innovations in compact lens design, computational photography, and optoelectronic technology.

Xiaomi’s President, William Lu, emphasizes the partnership’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of mobile imaging. Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG, hghlighetd their joint dedication to creating a new era of mobile imaging optics.

Total Q3 revenue soared to £7.9 billion. Adjusted net profit reached £600 million, up 182.9% YoY. The Group’s adjusted net profit for the first three quarters was 1.7 times that of last year’s total, beating market estimates.

.In the third quarter of 2023, Xiaomi’s R&D expenses reached £5 billion, up 22 per cent over the year before; R&D personnel is more than 53 per cent of the total workforce.

The Group upgraded its strategy from “Smartphone x AIoT” to the “Human x Car x Home” and unveiled its brand new operating system Xiaomi HyperOS, integrating all consumers’ needs in one smart ecosystem from personal devices, smart home products, to smart mobility.

Gross profit margin reached 22.7 per cent in the third quarter, marking an increase for four consecutive quarters. Cash resource reached £42.6 billion.

Full details HERE

A net profit of £920 million was during this period followed cost-cutting of £1.12 billion., Xiaomi says it now has £12.39 billion in cash.

Xiaomi’s global smartphone market share increased by 1.6 per cent to 12.9 per cent over the same period in 2022 according to Canalys which reports Xiaomi smartphone shipments ranked in the top three across 51 countries and regions globally,Around 32.9 million handsets, were shipped. Smartphone revenue reached £4 billion, up 4.6 per cent.

In China, its MIX Fold 3 sold 2,24 times more than the previous model in the first five minutes after hitting the shelf and sold 2.25 times more,

The company is going all-out in developing AI products and applications It now employs more than 3,000 AI experts in AI research and development. in areas such as visual, audio, acoustics, and knowledge graphs, Xiaomi expects to have invested £11 billion in R&D during the five years between 2022 and 2026.

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The Xiaomi 13 Series: A New Era for Mobile Photography

by Wen Ou, General Manager of Xiaomi Western Europe

Photography as we know it has changed dramatically. In just a small matter of years, to the extent that the smartphone has now matured to offer professional imaging capabilities comparable with the best traditional lens camera.

Today, the smartphone has become more than a tool designed to capture casual pictures – it is compact and practical and able to take high-quality spontaneous images with minimal effort or expertise in photography.

At Xiaomi, we understand that customers want professional camera features as part of their smartphone experience. Camera quality is one of the biggest factors driving consumers to upgrade their phones. People want to be able to perfectly capture the emotion of a moment vividly and realistically, and having a great camera is now just as important as other operational efficiencies within a phone – particularly in the age of social media and content creation. However, in pursuit of building amazing products that satisfy these needs, it’s important to choose the right partners and work together for the right reasons – including the same end goal.

More than just a brand tie-up

When designing our products, we want to make sure that the end experience is intuitive and feels natural. When partnering with Leica, it was important to us that we co-engineered the range together, to ensure that new standards could be set in the field of smartphone photography. We were keen to combine Leica’s signature image aesthetic with the renowned camera performance of Xiaomi devices to create a truly unique experience for customers.

As the second generation of devices in this strategic mobile imaging partnership and the first one we launched in the Western Europe markets, the Xiaomi 13 Series presents new optical and computational capabilities with Leica True Colour Imaging and a newly developed 75mm telephoto lens. It also offers professional camera features already included on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, including signature Leica optics and two photographic styles.

Everything about the collaboration has been considered and thoughtfully curated with the end user in mind. As with the previous generation Xiaomi 12S Ultra, consumers can choose between the “Leica Authentic Look” and the “Leica Vibrant Look” – two different image profiles and a novelty in the smartphone camera segment. Leica Image Experts designed the Authentic Look with a focus on aesthetically pleasing and natural colour reproduction, well-drawn shadows, realistic local contrasts and excellent reproduction of fine details.

In addition, the “Authentic Look” features reduced vignetting correction to achieve minimal light fall-off between the centre and corners of the image, giving it the typical look of a picture taken with a Leica Summicron lens. In tandem, Leica Vibrant Look combines Xiaomi’s expertise in smartphone technology with Leica’s signature image aesthetics, which allows photographers to vividly capture moments.

Setting new standards

With the support of the Xiaomi Imaging Engine, the new Xiaomi 13 Series has powerful computational photography capability. Based on its powerful operating efficiency and expandability, the 13 Ultra in particular can not only support powerful computational photography by utilising the parallel computing pipeline to greatly improve the speed of photography but also utilise heterogeneous graphics processing capabilities to achieve Xiaomi ProFocus. These specs make the 13 Series one of the most versatile and powerful camera phones on the market.

Considered design for a new era of mobile photography

When launching new products, we take time to generate feedback and ensure that the product is fit for the audience we’re designing it for. The research and development processes are complex and thorough, which is how we are able to carefully design standout products that set new standards within the field and reach new audiences.

We know that an elegant design combined with unrivalled power and high-quality imaging capabilities are important for the audiences we’re trying to build for. Working with Leica has helped to take Xiaomi’s photographic performance to the next level and ensure photography enthusiasts are able to combine unrivalled imaging capabilities with a powerful and elegant smartphone.

A new era of mobile photography is upon us, and as the market grows ever more sophisticated, we will continue to work with our partners to design products that suit the needs of the modern consumer. Being able to bring enhanced optical engineering, design, imaging software and photography to the smartphone market means more people can capture beautiful images spontaneously and easily.

Our strategic partnership is dedicated to innovating and continuously maturing the photography capabilities of the smartphone. The market is in an exciting phase and consumers can expect the quality of their cameras to continue to increase as big players invest to ensure these capabilities are forever improving.

Xiaomi has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone line-up – Xiaomi 13 Series – to its international markets.

A tie-in with Leica gives the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro ‘professional optical lenses’. The devices are powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Xiaomi’s own Surge battery management system.

The Xiaomi 13 Lite also has a triple camera setup featuring Leica optical lenses while the Xiaomi 13 Pro features the Leica Vario-Summicron system of a 23mm wide-angle lens, a 75mm telephoto lens, and a 14mm ultra-wide-angle camera.

Xiaomi says the IMX989 sensor is the largest sensor ever on a smartphone delivering DSLR-level internal focusing technology, The Xiaomi 13 has an optical zoom range of 0.6x to 3.2x and has a 75mm telephoto lens.

Xiaomi 13 Pro supports RAW DNG Camera and Adobe Colour Profiles created by Adobe.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is up to 49 per cent faster than the previous generation. Power efficiency up by 37 per cent.

The Xiaomi 13 has a 6.36-inch AMOLED display. Xiaomi 13 Pro features a 3D-curved ceramic body and a larger 6.73-inch with 1,200 nits full-screen brightness and 1,900 nits peak brightness. Both devices offer IP685 dust and water resistance.

Notably, Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 will offer five years of Google security patch updates. Users also get one out-of-warranty repair without labour cost within a year after purchase.

The global market for refurbished device 15 per cent 2021 and is set for more growth says Counterpoint Research’s latest report ‘Smartphones and Circular Economy – Creating A Sustainable Future”. The report assesses how well device manufacturers are using materials, recycling devices, and minimising waste. This starts from the device design , processing chips, and packaging to power consumption.

“Apple and Samsung are leading the drive towards sustainability. But brands like OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi have a long way to go with reclaiming and refurbishing devices considering the volume of new smartphones they ship every year says Counterpoint.

“Most of the reclaiming and refurbishing is done by the other players in the secondary ecosystem. The end-of-life stage is quite complex but is one of the most rewarding if done right. Carriers and retail refurbishment players are growing but OEM initiatives on reclamation, refurbishment, and e-waste reduction are limited. Even the best brands are not active enough in pulling back their used stock. The highest potential now rests with initiatives like trade-ins, which ensure a buyback of the older devices.

“Apple scores high on overall longevity, updates, and innovations toward sustainability, Samsung scores higher in repair, energy efficiency and after-sales networks. It depends on how long a consumer chooses to use a device”.

“OEM tie-ups with local sustainability partners have increased, leading to circular initiatives across geographies. But such initiatives need to grow faster to be in consonant with the volumes of new smartphones shipped every year. There are opportunities as well. Sustainability and its different aspects, initiatives and players can be broken down into many sectors with varying opportunities. Environmental benefits compound when the industry and government take steps in the right direction:.

Global smartphone handset revenue slumped three per cent in Q3 2022 to just above $100 billion, according to latest research from Counterpoint’s Market Monitor Service. But there was a 10 per cent year-on-year growth in the average selling price due to the premium handset’s resilience to economic uncertainty. 5G handsets, which cost five times an average non-5G handset, also added to the average selling price and revenue growth. The overall handset market dipped 12 per cent in the last quarter.

At over $80 billion, the revenue contribution of 5G handsets reached an all-time high of 80 per cent of global handset revenues, up from 69 per dent over the third quarter of last year. In the same period, non-5G handsets’ revenue contribution fell 10 per dent to $19 billion. The shift from 4G to 5G was driven by Apple, which accounted for over half of all 5G revenues and seven per cent average selling price boost in Q3. This contributed to an overall increase in global handset average selling price. Apple’s average selling price bumped up by10 per cent in Q3.

Samsung, saw a relatively modest average selling price increase of two per cent in Q3 despite an almost doubling of the shipments of its premium Flip and Fold series in the same period as well as a 27 per cent revenue growth of its 5G smartphones. The lower growth of its average selling price was due to to a shift in focus from the S22 series to the foldable series. Samsung revenue declined four per cent this Q3.

Xiaomi’s handset revenue grew four per cent in Q3, mainly from the low-to-mid price bands. There was, says Counterpoint, a shift from the sub-$200 to $200-$299 price band. Xiaomi’s average selling price grew 14 per cent to $205.

Covid lockdowns in China hit OPPO which saw an average selling price and revenue decline of five per cent and 25 per cent in Q3 respectively.