Samsung Phones Led by Galaxy S21, Q1 Shipments Jump 32%... Global No.1

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Joesulgina] Samsung Electronics, led by the Galaxy S21, regained a market share in the 20% range and secured the top spot in the global smartphone market. Smartphone shipments in the first quarter increased by 32% compared to a year ago when the industry was hit hard by COVID-19.

According to market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA) on the 22nd, Samsung Electronics' global smartphone shipments in the first quarter reached 77 million units, a 32% increase compared to the same period last year.

The market share stood at 23%, surpassing competitors such as Apple (17%) and Xiaomi (15%). This marks a recovery to the 20% range just one quarter after dropping to the high teens due to the success of Apple's first 5G smartphone, the iPhone 12, in the fourth quarter of last year.

This success is attributed to strategic moves such as advancing the launch date of the new flagship smartphone Galaxy S21 by more than a month compared to previous years and strengthening the lineup of mid-range smartphones with the Galaxy A series. The Galaxy S21 surpassed 1 million units sold domestically within 57 days of its release, about a month faster than its predecessor.

Global smartphone shipments in the first quarter totaled 340 million units, marking a 24% growth compared to 275 million units in the first quarter of last year when COVID-19 began to spread widely. This is the highest growth rate since 2015. SA evaluated that "suppressed smartphone replacement demand and the growth of Chinese companies in the 5G smartphone market were notable."

By manufacturer, Apple shipped a total of 57 million iPhones in the first quarter, driven by the iPhone 12 and others. This represents a 44% increase compared to the same period last year.

The growth of Chinese smartphone manufacturers is even more pronounced. Xiaomi's (49 million units) growth rate reached 80%. The shipments of Oppo and Vivo, ranked 4th and 5th in market share, were 38 million units (11% market share) and 37 million units (11% market share), respectively, increasing by 68% and 85% compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, Huawei, which is under sanctions by the U.S. government, did not make it into the top 5 smartphone manufacturers list.