Apple shipped the most 5G-ready smartphone units in the first quarter of 2021, but it lost market share to Oppo, Vivo, Samsung, and Xiaomi, according to the latest data from research firm Strategy Analytics.
Compared to its rivals, Apple was a little late to the 5G party, but within months of going on sale, its debut 5G smartphones rose to the top spot.
Apple's 5G smartphones market share dropped from 41% in Q4 2020 to 30% in Q1 2021
Apple sold 40.4 million iPhone 12 units in Q1 2021 - a figure that puts it ahead of other companies but is a 23 percent reduction over the last quarter. The downward trajectory is not reflective of the wider industry trend.
Per Strategy Analytics, 5G smartphone sales grew 6 percent Quarter over Quarter to 136 million units in Q1 2021 as demand remained strong in China, United States, and Western Europe. Sales are estimated to reach 624 million units this year, a significant increase when compared to 2020's total shipments of 269 million units.
Apple was the only outlier during the quarter and all other top players saw their shipments go up. Samsung was the world's fastest growing 5G-smartphone vendor during the first three months of 2021 and its sales grew 79 percent QoQ to 17 million units.
5G smartphones market share Q1 2021
The performance has been attributed to strong sales of the new Galaxy S21 phones in its home country of South Korea, North America, and some European markets. In the overall leaderboard, it sits at the fourth spot with a market share of 12.5 percent.
Growth-wise, Vivo was the second-best performer during Q1, with sales increasing 62 percent QoQ to 19 million units, thanks to robust demand for its iQOO U3 5G and U7 5G handsets in China and Europe. With 14.3 percent of the pie, it was the third-largest smartphone company in the previous quarter.
Oppo and Xiaomi both benefited from strong sales in their home turf of China. Oppo was the second biggest player with a market share of 15.8 percent. Sales grew 55 percent compared to Q4 2020.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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