Apple ends Q4 2020 ahead of Samsung
Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
- Global smartphone shipments rebounded in the fourth quarter of 2020 after a turbulent year.
- While Apple led the quarter, Samsung ended 2020 as the world’s largest smartphone OEM.
- Companies like Realme and Xiaomi continued to shine, while Lenovo and LG lost ground in 2020.
The global smartphone market recovered slightly in the final quarter of 2020 after a turbulent year for the entire industry. While the majority of OEMs saw no momentum in the last three months of the year, Apple stood head and shoulders above the pack.
Apple saw 96% quarter-over-quarter growth in the fourth quarter of 2020, shipping nearly 20 million more units than runner-up Samsung, according to the latest report from Counterpoint. It is clear that the iPhone 12 series is putting significant pressure on the Korean company. As a result, Samsung was able to reduce its quarterly growth by 22%. The Galaxy S21 series maker still took first place in 2020, claiming 19% of the world market share versus 15% of Apple.
Huawei’s global struggles continue
Recognition: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
Q4 2020 was a nightmare for Huawei. The company was still affected by U.S. sanctions, falling from fourth place in the third quarter of 2020 to sixth in the following quarter. Only 33 million devices were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2020, a decrease of 35% from Q3 2020. BBK brands Oppo and Vivo increased their shipments by 10% and 8% respectively from the previous quarter to overthrow the Chinese giant.
Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. iPhone 12: Battle of the Giants
Looking at 2020 as a whole, Huawei still holds third place in the global smartphone hierarchy. During the year, 187.7 million shipments were collected to reach 14% of the market share. We anticipate that this number will continue to decline after the sale of Honor in 2021 and we rule out any intervention by the Biden administration.
Xiaomi had a quiet but stable year. It remains the fourth largest OEM in 2020, shipping 17% more devices than last year. The company ranked third in the fourth quarter of 2020, shipping 10 million more devices that quarter than a year earlier.
Realme glows, Lenovo fades
Other notable companies are Realme. The company’s massive growth of 417% in 2019 slowed somewhat in 2020, but shipments rose 65% year over year. The company’s good shape was confirmed in India, where it claimed a 13% market share in the region by 2020 – good enough to rank fourth in the country’s market.
Lenovo was among the biggest victims of 2020. The company’s shipments rose 18%, compounded by Motorola’s poor performance. The latter led to a 16% drop in deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the Motorola Edge S could be a sign of better developments for the company.
For fellow campaigner LG, the year was a mixed one. While shipments declined 13% throughout 2020, the final quarter of the year heralded a slight recovery. The company was able to deliver 600,000 more shipments in the fourth quarter of 2020 than in the fourth quarter of 2019, largely due to the mid-range push and new devices like the LG Wing.
Who do you think will end up as the world’s best smartphone maker in 2021? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
