iPhone 12 Series Demand drives Apple to the top position of global shipments in Q4 2020

2020 ended on a good note for Apple as the tech giant secured the top spot in the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter according to information published by Counterpoint. 2020 ended with total smartphone shipments exceeding 395 million units, of which Apple secured 81.9 million.

The staggering figure is attributed to the pent-up demand for Apple’s iPhone 12 series, as well as iPhone 11’s longevity and strong carrier promotions within the US.

According to the information from Counterpoint, Realme achieved the fastest growth globally with a 65% YoY growth in shipment volume.

Apple shipped a total of 81.9 million units in Q42020, a feat that secured 21% of the market share and quarter on quarter (QoQ) growth of 96% according to the latest report by counterpoint.

Samsung followed closely in second place with 62.5 million units and 16% market share, although Samsung suffered a QoQ decline of 22 percent, the south Korean company still managed to hold on to the second position despite intensifying competition in the mid-range segment from Chinese OEMs and the long-standing competition in the premium segment from Apple’s iPhone series.

Xiaomi grew their global smartphone shipments by 31% YoY to over 43 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020. With shipments within China growing 46% YoY, the Chinese company shipped over 12 million units within china. This impressive figure was attributed to Honor’s weakening performance, Counterpoint claims and Single’s day sales season.

Oppo followed with 8% YoY growth and 10% QoQ growth. The Chinese OEM achieved 9% market share by shipping 34 million units ijn the fourth quarter of 2020.

According to the information by Counterpoint, this is the first time ever that Oppo and Vivo would surpass Huawei in QoQ performance. Oppo and Vivo secured the fourth and fifth positions respectively, exceeding Huawei's performance in Q4 2020.

Counterpoint's report also noted that the global smartphone market suffered a 1% decline in year-on-year performance in the fourth quarter of 2020, largely due to the aftereffects of the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the market rose 8% quarter-on-quarter in the 4th quarter of 2020.

Samsung regained the top spot in global smartphone sales in 2020 with a total of 255.7 million units sold and a substantial 19% share of the global market. Apple follows closely with the second position selling a total of 201.1 million units in 2020 and a 15% global market share. Huawei still managed to attend the third spot despite the many sanctions and component shortages caused by the escalated us trade ban. Huawei's performance is attributed to its strong presence in China which contributed to about 70% of its total sales, in addition to the new 5G models such as the Huawei Nova 7 and Huawei Mate 40 pro.

Despite a relatively new brand status, Realme succeeded in shipping about 42.4 million units in 2020, a considerable improvement from its 25.7 million units shipped in 2019. Although the company grabbed a modest 3% market share, the annual growth rate was much more impressive at 65%, securing the position of the fastest growth rate according to Counterpoint statistics. The performance also reflected in the Indian market with a 22% growth and over 20 million units sold for the first time ever.