Apple captured top spot in global smartphone market in Q4: Counterpoint

Apple captured the top spot in Q4, driven by 8% YoY and 96% QoQ growth. South Korea's Samsung slipped to the second spot with 62.5 million units in Q4 2020, down 11% YoY mainly due to the increase in Apple shipments across regions. However, it led the overall market in CY 2020 with 255.7 million units.

Apple led the global smartphone market in Q4, 2020, all thanks to the high demand for 5G-enabled iPhones, strong carrier promotions and the iPhone 11's longevity, according to the latest research from Counterpoint.

While the global smartphone market declined 1% YoY in Q4 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns, it rebounded 8% QoQ to 395.9 million units in Q4 2020, the report said.

Apple captured the top spot in Q4, driven by 8% YoY and 96% QoQ growth. South Korea's Samsung slipped to the second spot with 62.5 million units in Q4 2020, down 11% YoY mainly due to the increase in Apple shipments across regions. However, it led the overall market in CY 2020 with 255.7 million units.

Xiaomi grabbed the third spot with its global smartphone shipments growing 31% YoY to 43 million units in Q4 2020. Oppo and Vivo captured the fourth and fifth spots respectively, surpassing Huawei that slipped to the sixth spot in Q4, 2020. However, Huawei managed to achieve the third spot in CY 2020, driven by new 5G models such as the Mate 40 Pro and Nova 7.

Realme emerged as the fastest growing brand in CY 2020 with 65% YoY growth in shipment volume. The Lenovo Group, LG and Tecno captured eight, ninth and tenth spot, respectively, in Q4, 2020.

According to the Counterpoint report, 5G smartphones contributed to 34% of global smartphone shipments in Q4 2020 and are expected to be around two-thirds of total shipments in 2023.

"5G shipments continued to accelerate registering a 120% QoQ jump in Q4. The overall 5G smartphone penetration increased to 34% of total smartphone shipments compared to 17% in the previous quarter. The growth was driven by the launch of the iPhone 12 and a strong portfolio of products from brands like OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi and Vivo in the sub-$300 price band," said Harmeet Singh Walia, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint.