Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
- Apple ousted Samsung and Xiaomi to become the top-selling phone brand in the fourth quarter of 2020.
- It was the first time since 2016 that Apple took the lead.
- The iPhone 12 and Huawei’s demise helped Apple move forward.
Android no longer has the top position among smartphone brands. Gartner analysts have estimated that Apple overtook Samsung in the fourth quarter of 2020 to become the best-selling phone maker, claiming a market share of 20.8% versus 16.2% of its competitor. This is a sharp turnaround from the same period last year when Samsung was just ousting Apple to reach 17.3% market share.
Other top brands did well, but it was a difficult time for the entire industry. Xiaomi rose from 8% to 11.3% within a year, but Oppo rose only slightly from 7.5% to 8.9%. And it was another disastrous quarter for Huawei – the US trade ban reduced its share from 14.3 percent at the end of 2019 to just 8.9 percent at the end of 2020.
The total phone market shrank by 5.4%, not least due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many customers to limit their spending.
This is an important milestone for Apple. It marked the first time since Fall 2016 that the phone maker topped Gartner’s quarterly market share and the iPhone 7. Samsung led the full-year share at 18.8% versus Apple’s 14.8%, but the lead narrowed significantly.
See also: The best Android phones
Apple’s rise was aided by a perfect storm of events. The pandemic pushed the launch of the iPhone 12 from the company’s usual September period to October, resulting in a surge in sales that would otherwise have been slightly subdued. This was also Apple’s largest selection of iPhones to date, with the 12 Mini offering another option. Huawei’s crash certainly helped boost Apple’s market share numbers, even if customers haven’t switched.
The shift in phone market share partially reflected the challenges facing Samsung. Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo faced increased competition as they gained influence outside their home country. According to Gartner, low-end and mid-range phones did well in the fourth quarter, and Chinese vendors have done well in these categories in recent years.
It is not certain how most of these brands will perform in 2021. Mass vaccinations and the general recovery from the pandemic could fuel demand as people leave the home more often. The Galaxy S21 could help Samsung in the face of strong early demand, but it’s not guaranteed to fare better overall when budget phones and direct competitors like the Xiaomi Mi 11 pose a major threat. One can assume that Huawei will have problems – there is no great future for phones without their own chips or the Honor brand.
