- Samsung led shipments of smartphones in the first quarter of 2021, according to Strategy Analytics.
- Apple and Xiaomi rounded off the top three, while Huawei was eliminated from the top five.
The first quarter of 2020 marked a major downturn for the smartphone industry as the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted device production and sales. There has been a dramatic recovery in the second half of last year, and it looks like the first quarter of 2021 will continue that trend as well.
Strategy Analytics reported that global smartphone shipments were up 24% year over year. 340 million units were shipped compared to 275 million a year ago. All five top players saw double-digit growth.
Samsung was the front runner for the quarter with a market share of 23% and a year-over-year growth of 32%, which sets it apart from Apple and its 17% share (44% growth). The tracking company traced Samsung's performance back to the Galaxy S21 series and the latest Galaxy A series phones (including 5G models).
Rounding out the podium, Xiaomi achieved an impressive 80% year-over-year growth, which translates into a 15% market share. Strategy Analytics said these results were due to strong performance in the company's strongholds in China and India, as well as expansion in Africa, Europe and Latin America. In particular, the gap between Apple and Xiaomi is quite small (~ 2%), so the Chinese manufacturer could potentially take second place if it can maintain this momentum.
The BBK brands Oppo and Vivo rounded out the top 5 as both achieved a market share of 11% and a year-on-year growth of 68% and 85% respectively.
The biggest loser could be Huawei, as the company was in second place in the first quarter of 2020 and has now fallen out of the top 5 according to the tracking company. This is a major turnaround for a company that still managed to take first place in Q2 2020 due to COVID-19 that hit Europe and the US as its home market of China rebounded.
Do you think Xiaomi can take second place for smartphone shipments this year? Let us know by taking the survey below.
