[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] Apple has risen to the top spot in the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter of last year, fueled by strong sales of its first 5G smartphone, the 'iPhone 12' series. On an annual basis, Apple ranked second, surpassing China's Huawei and trailing only Samsung Electronics.
According to a report released on the 22nd (local time) by global market research firm Gartner, Apple's smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of last year reached 79,942,700 units, a 14.9% increase compared to the same period the previous year. Apple reclaimed the number one position in the global smartphone market for the quarter. During the same period, Samsung Electronics' sales were recorded at 62,117,000 units, down 11.8% year-over-year. Following were Xiaomi (43,430,000 units), Oppo (34,373,700 units), and Huawei (34,315,700 units).
Gartner stated, "With the launch of the 5G smartphone iPhone 12, Apple recorded double-digit growth in the fourth quarter and surpassed Samsung Electronics," adding, "The last time Apple held the number one spot in smartphones was in the fourth quarter of 2016."
This is attributed to the effect of the new iPhone 12 smartphone. The economic media CNBC reported, "The iPhone 12, equipped with 5G capabilities and a new design, was a hit," and "Apple is enduring the COVID-19 pandemic better than its competitors." Typically, Apple holds an event to unveil new iPhone models around mid-September and releases them from late September. However, last year, due to the impact of COVID-19, Apple unveiled its first 5G smartphone, the iPhone 12, about a month later in October, concentrating sales in the fourth quarter.
In terms of market share, Apple held 20.8% in the fourth quarter of last year, up more than 3 percentage points from a year earlier. During the same period, Samsung Electronics slightly declined from 17.3% to 16.2%. Chinese Huawei, targeted by U.S. government sanctions, saw its sales drop by more than 40%, shrinking its fourth-quarter market share from 14.3% to 8.9%.
However, on an annual basis, Samsung Electronics maintained the top position. Samsung's annual smartphone sales were approximately 253.02 million units. Although this was a 14.6% decrease compared to the previous year, Samsung still held the number one spot. Following were Apple (199.84 million units), Huawei (182.61 million units), Xiaomi (145.80 million units), and Oppo (111.78 million units).
Gartner noted, "Huawei experienced the largest sales decline among the top five companies and lost the annual second place to Apple," adding, "U.S. sanctions, including the ban on using Google OS, negatively impacted Huawei's smartphone annual performance and revenue."
Meanwhile, due to the impact of COVID-19, global smartphone sales last year totaled 1,347.87 million units, a 12.5% decrease compared to the previous year. For the fourth quarter, sales were 384.62 million units, a 5.4% decline compared to the same period a year earlier.
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