Today, Gartner released a report saying that Apple surpassed Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer in the fourth quarter of 2020. Throughout 2020, Apple has surpassed Huawei to become the world’s second largest smartphone manufacturer.
Also Read: Global Smartphone Sales To Increase By 11.4% In 2021 – To Hit 1.5 Billion
Gartner data shows that in the fourth quarter of 2020, global smartphone sales for end users dropped by 5.4%. For the whole year of 2020, smartphone sales fell by 12.5%.
‘The sales of more 5G smartphones and lower-to-mid-tier smartphones minimized the market decline in the fourth quarter of 2020,’ said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner. ‘Even as consumers remained cautious in their spending and held off on some discretionary purchases, 5G smartphones and pro-camera features encouraged some end users to purchase new smartphones or upgrade their current smartphones in the quarter.’
The launch of the 5G iPhone 12 series helped Apple achieve double-digit growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. It also enabled Apple to surpass Samsung and become the world’s largest smartphone seller again. This is also the first time since the fourth quarter of 2016 that Apple has become the largest smartphone manufacturer.
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In the fourth quarter, Apple’s smartphone sales were 79.9472 million units, an increase of 14.9% year-on-year, and its market share was 20.8%, ranking first. Samsung’s smartphone sales were 62.117 million units, a year-on-year decline of 11.8%, and its market share was 16.2%, ranking second.
Smartphone Sales Of Other Manufacturers
Xiaomi ranked third with smartphone sales of 43,430,300 units, an increase of 33.9% year-on-year, and a market share of 11.3%. OPPO smartphone sales volume was 34.373 million units, an increase of 12.9% year-on-year, and its market share was 8.9%, ranking fourth. Huawei ranked fifth, with 3,315,700 smartphone sales, down 41.1% year-on-year, and a market share of approximately 8.9%.
Throughout 2020, Samsung’s smartphone sales fell by 14.6% compared to 2019. But this does not prevent its championship. It is undeniable that Samsung is facing fierce competition from smartphone suppliers such as Xiaomi, OPPO and VIVO.
In 2020, Apple and Xiaomi are the only two (among the top five) smartphone suppliers that have experienced sales growth. Among them, Apple’s market share is 14.8%, ranking second after Samsung. Xiaomi ranked fourth with a market share of 10.8%. Huawei ranked third with a market share of 13.5%.
Gupta said: ‘In 2021, the availability of lower end 5G smartphones and innovative features will be deciding factors for end-users to upgrade their existing smartphones. The rising demand for affordable 5G smartphones outside China will boost smartphone sales in 2021.’
