Holiday quarters aside, Apple has never been and probably never the world’s largest smartphone maker by volume. But is it really a bad thing? Recent market data suggest that this is not the case.
The iPhone accounted for 42% of revenue, but only 17% of shipments
An extensive report from Counterpoint research reveals that Apple generated as much as 42% of all smartphone revenue (estimated at $ 113 billion) in Q1 2021, despite accounting for only 16.8% of global shipments.
This is a record share for the first quarter Apple. A year earlier, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread worldwide, Apple shipped 13.6% of all smartphones and generated 34.4% of revenue.
Counterpoint says the brand’s performance can be attributed to the success of The iPhone 12 series and a so-called demand from the delayed launch in the 4th quarter of 2020. The iPhone 12 Pro Max played a particularly important role in increasing Apple’s revenue share per capita. report thanks to its strong performance in both Europe and the United States.
Samsung’s share of revenue fell despite an early Galaxy S21 launch
Samsung followed in second place when it comes to smartphone revenue, with a share of 17.5%. It is far from unimpressive, but the figure is down to the 20.2% it captured in the first quarter of 2020.
Interestingly, Samsung’s share of shipments rose from 19.9% a year ago to 21.7%, according to data shared by Counterpoint. This suggests that Samsung’s mid-range and budget Galaxy A devices accounted for a larger share of shipments this year.
Nevertheless, success is with The Galaxy S21 series was highlighted, as well as Samsung’s dominant position in the niche folding smartphone segment, which is expected to see more competition from Huawei, Xiaomi and others later in the year.
Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi finished the top 5
Xiaomi accounted for 13.7% of all smartphone shipments between January and March 2021. However, its continued focus on the entry-level segment meant that it generated only 7.6% of revenue. The brand has recently pushed into the premium flagship segment, and especially in Europe, it can give the brand a welcome boost in the revenue department.
Prior to Xiaomi in terms of revenue was Oppo. It generated 8.2% of global smartphone revenue with a shipping market share of 10.7%. Both figures are significantly higher than the 5.8% of revenue and 7.6% of reported shipments in the first quarter of 2020.
Counterpoint says Oppo’s success is primarily due to its aggressive expansion in Europe, which follows Huawei’s decline from grace, and the strong momentum in Oppo A and Oppo Find lineups.
Followed by Oppo, Vivo followed with a share of 8.0% of revenue and 10% of the shipping market. The brand’s flagship Vivo X60 series has performed well.
