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Saf Malik
April 29, 2021
Samsung on top with the most shipments in Q1 with 77 million units
Global smartphone shipments rose 24 per cent year-on-year to 340 million units in the first quarter of 2021, according to Strategy Analytics.
The increase represents the highest growth since 2015, with the research firm saying the smartphone market rebound was driven by the healthy demand of consumers for ageing devices and a major 5G push from Chinese vendors.
The Chinese smartphone market had a strong quarter, driven by 5G product success across multiple price points. The country’s smartphone shipments were up 35 per cent year-on-year, reaching 94 million units in Q1.
The top five vendors took 76 per cent of global market share, with Samsung shipping the most units at 77 million. This represented a 32 per cent year-on- year increase for the Korean vendor.
Apple shipped 57 million smartphones, capturing second place with a 17 per cent market share. This was largely due to the strong momentum behind the 5G-compatible iPhone 12 series.
Xiaomi held third place, amid Huawei’s struggles, for the second quarter in a row. The Chinese vendor shipped 49 million smartphones globally and took a 15 per cent market share in Q1 2021.
Oppo, which took an 11 per cent market share, remained the fourth-largest smartphone vendor. Vivo came in fifth, growing 85 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter.