For the first time, Xiaomi became in the second quarter of 2021, the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, with a 17% market share and sales up 83%, overtaking Apple.
The latest Canalys report indicates a change in the global hierarchy of smartphone manufacturers. The Verge media reported that for the first time, Xiaomi edged out Apple in the second quarter, as the market regains color after the Covid-19 crisis.
Xiaomi is getting closer to Samsung
The smartphone market has been shaken up by the Covid crisis, but according to the Canalys report, the latter is already doing better. Indeed, smartphone shipments grew 12% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to last year. However, the market hierarchy has been shaken up. Xiaomi stole second place from Apple over this period, capturing 17% of the global market. The Chinese company is second only to Samsung, which accounts for 19% of the market. Apple is just behind Xiaomi with 14%, OPPO and Vivo round out the top 5 with 10% each.
Although each of these 5 companies has increased their shipments year on year, Xiaomi is achieving the biggest growth. The Chinese brand increased its shipments by 83% more than in the second quarter of 2020. For their part, Samsung and Apple recorded an increase in their shipments of 15% and 1% respectively. Canalys confirms that Xiaomi “is rapidly developing its activities abroad”.
“For example, its shipments have increased by over 300% to Latin America, 150% to Africa, and 50% to Western Europe. And as it grows, the brand evolves. It is in the process of transforming its economic model, moving from the status of a challenger to that of leader. ” added the cabinet.
Chinese automaker still needs to improve on the high end
However, Ben Stanton, director of research at Canalys clarified that Xiaomi remains “largely oriented towards the mass market”. Indeed, we see that compared to Samsung and Apple, Xiaomi’s average selling price is 40% and 75% cheaper. Although Xiaomi is unbeatable in terms of value for money, it still has room for improvement in its high-end segments.
Huawei also managed to overtake Apple in 2019, but the brand is now in the background of the market following trade sanctions and bans imposed by the United States. According to Canalys, global deliveries of smartphones increased by 12% in the last quarter.
