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Smartphone numbers are in: Motorola and Xiaomi were big winners last quarter

By Joshua Swingle

Published: Jul 29, 2021, 9:58 AM

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Smartphone numbers are in: Motorola and Xiaomi were big winners last quarter

The global smartphone market continued to recover in the second quarter of 2021, new data from Omdia reveals. The positive results come despite the fall from grace that Huawei has experienced over the past twelve months.

Samsung is still number one, but Xiaomi is right behind

Smartphone manufacturers are said to have shipped 299.1 million units between April and June 2021. That’s an increase of 6.9% compared to the 279.1 million units that were shipped in the second quarter of 2020.

Samsung retained its position as the world’s largest brand with shipments of 57.3 million units and a market share of 19%. Shipments are up 5.6% year-on-year, meaning Samsung didn’t match the market average.

Omdia attributes Samsung’s weak performance to the ongoing global component shortages and reduced operations at key facilities in India and Vietnam due to the spread of the delta COVID-19 variant.

The South Korean is betting on the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, as well as the Galaxy S21 FE and affordable Galaxy A52s to sustain global shipments in the second half of 2021.

Xiaomi experienced dramatic growth in Q2 2021

Xiaomi overtook Apple to become the second-largest manufacturer in the world with shipments of 49.9 million units, a dramatic increase of 72.9% despite experiencing a decrease in production volume because of the pandemic.

The brand’s impressive growth numbers are down to a significant increase in demand outside of the Asia-Pacific region. Europe is likely the company’s main source of growth following the exit of Huawei.

While many expected Samsung and Apple to absorb most of Huawei’s market share outside of China, Xiaomi has done a fantastic job of targeting the low-end segment and working with carriers to take advantage of the situation.

Bye bye Huawei

Huawei’s shipments, for reference, dropped from 38.6 million a year ago to 9.8 million last quarter, a decline of 74.6%. The brand now accounts for just 3% of the global smartphone market.

Realme, Oppo, and Vivo continued their upward trajectory

Apple followed in third place with a 14% market share thanks to 42.9 million iPhone units between April and June. That’s up 7.5% year-on-year, in part due to recovering demand in developed regions and strong growth in emerging markets.

Oppo and Vivo completed the top five in fourth and fifth place with shipments of 32.5 million and 31.6 million units, respectively. Both brands experienced strong growth following their expansion into Europe, which has coincided with the demise of Huawei.

Oppo sub-brand Realme also experienced a fantastic quarter — it’s shipments exploded 174.5% to 11.4 million units, giving it a market share of 4% and solidifying its position as the world’s sixth-largest smartphone brand.

Motorola was a surprise winner last quarter

Motorola has been an unexpected winner in the first half of 2021. It shipments grew 42.8% in the second quarter to 10.6 million units and 79.2% in the first six months of the year to 23.2 million.

The brand’s focus on 5G devices has been very successful so far, particularly in the United States where the Lenovo-owned brand is quickly becoming the default new home of former LG customers.

It’ll remain to be seen how Motorola continues to perform in the second half of 2021, but the newly announced (and well-priced) Edge 20 series could give it an substantial boost in the coming months if they reach the US market.

Honor finished in 10th position

The final brands on the top 10 list last quarter were Tecno, a lesser-known brand focused on the African and South Asian markets, and Honor, the former Huawei former subsidiary that’s about to go global again.

Honor shipped 6.7 million units in the quarter. That’s down 61.1% compared to last year, but the company is yet to launch any new devices with Google services outside of China. When it does so in the coming months, its fortunes should turn around quickly.