The average upgrade cycle for smartphones has gone way up from 1 year back in the day, to close to three years, according to several researches. Naturally, smartphone sales have stagnated at best, as more and more people hold on to their smartphones for longer periods of time.

However, according to Strategy Analytics, for the first time in two years, smartphone sales are on the rise. It’s not a major jump, with 2 percent growth, but at least the needle is pointing in the right direction.

366.3 million smartphones were sold in Q3 2019, compared to 359.8 million units the same quarter of 2018. The main driver behind the growth is Huawei, who grew 29 percent according to SA, 28 percent according to other sources, helped by Samsung with its 8 percent growth.