Top 10 Smartphone Sales in the First Half Dominated by Apple and Xiaomi... Samsung Has Only One Model

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The best-selling smartphone worldwide in the first half of the year was Apple’s iPhone 11. Apple and Xiaomi demonstrated their increased market dominance by including five and four models respectively in the top 10 list. Samsung Electronics managed to place only one mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A51, in the top 10.

According to a recent report released by market research firm Omdia, the iPhone 11 sold 37.7 million units globally in the first half of this year, ranking first as the single best-selling smartphone model. This is 10.8 million units more than the iPhone XR, which held the top spot in the first half of last year with 26.9 million units sold. Omdia noted, "Despite the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the iPhone 11 has shown strong performance," adding, "Its $50 lower price compared to the iPhone XR, combined with significant hardware improvements, is a key advantage."

The second place went to Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy A51, which was released in the first half of this year and sold approximately 11.4 million units worldwide. Following were Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 (11 million units), Redmi Note 8 Pro (10.2 million units), and Apple’s iPhone SE (8.5 million units).

Notably, Apple showed remarkable strength by sweeping half of the top 10. Within the top 10 were five models: iPhone 11, iPhone SE, iPhone XR (8 million units), iPhone 11 Pro Max (7.7 million units), and iPhone 11 Pro (6.7 million units). The report added that although the shipment volumes of the iPhone Pro Max and iPhone 11 Pro models decreased compared to the previous iPhone Xs Max and Xs, their rankings actually improved.

Omdia evaluated that "Apple dominated." Thanks to the success of the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE, iPhone shipments in the second quarter increased by 13% compared to a year earlier.

On the other hand, Samsung Electronics, which had four models in the top 10 list in the first half of last year, managed only one this year. Omdia stated, "Samsung’s flagship smartphones did not make it into the top 10, which is a significant change for Samsung." Last year’s first half top 10 included the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A50, Galaxy J2 Core, and Galaxy A30 models.

Instead, the spots were taken by China’s Xiaomi, which emphasizes cost-effectiveness. The number of Xiaomi models in the top 10 doubled from two in the first half of last year to four this year.

This reflects the expanding consumer demand for mid-range smartphones amid the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. The prices of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro are $132 and $162 respectively. The Redmi 8A and Redmi 8, which ranked 8th and 9th, are priced under $100. Omdia explained, "The performance of mid-range smartphones is becoming standardized, and consumer preference for low-priced models is increasing, making Xiaomi’s smartphones popular especially in emerging markets."

Meanwhile, China’s Huawei, targeted by the US-China trade war, failed to make the top 10 sales list in the first half due to ongoing sanctions pressure. Chinese brand Oppo, which ranked 5th last year with the A5 model, also slipped out of the top 10 this year.