ENGLAND: Android devices are dominating smartphone sales in the second quarter of 2016, with devices running Google's popular operating system acquiring 86.2 per cent market share, IT research and advisory firm Gartner reveals in its latest report.

Global smartphone sales totalled 344 million units, with manufacturer Samsung in the lead with 76,743 units followed by Apple with 44,395 units and Chinese brand Huawei with 30,670 units.

Worldwide sales have increased 4.3pc in comparison with the corresponding period in 2015. However, overall sales have contracted 0.5pc, with only five of the top vendors showing growth, among which are four Chinese manufacturers ─ Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and BBK Communication Equipment.

All mature markets except Japan show slowing demand for smartphones, contributing to a 4.9pc decrease in sales. In contrast, all emerging markets except Latin America saw a 9.9pc increase in sales.

The overall demand for Android smartphones appears to be fuelled by increasing demand for mid to lower-end smartphones in emerging markets, and for premium smartphones which showed a 6.5pc increase in 2Q16.

Key smartphone manufacturers using Android OS ─ such as Samsung ─ are pushing high-end devices like the Galaxy S7, but Chinese brands like Huawei and Oppo are pushing premium smartphone ranges with more affordable devices.

iPhone sales declined 7.7pc this quarter ─ the third consecutive quarterly slowdown in iPhone sales ─ although iOS continues to be the most popular OS used by an individual manufacturer, as Apple's market share at 13pc is second only to Samsung, which has a market share of around 22pc.

Oppo showed the highest growth in Q2 this year at 129pc, due to the strong sales of its R9 handset in China and overseas. "Features such as an anti-shake camera optimised for selfies, and rapid charge technology, helped Oppo carve a niche market for itself and boost sales in a highly competitive and commoditised smartphone market," Gartner Research Director Anshul Gupta said.

Gartner's report shows smartphones running Windows had a share of just 0.6pc of sales compared to 2.5pc a year ago, while BlackBerry's share fell to 0.1pc compared to 0.3pc in the same period last year.