According to the global industry analyst firm Counterpoint, the global smartphone market grew 6% compared to Q2 2021 but reported a 6% decline compared to the same quarter in 2020. The global shipments of smartphones stand at 342 million units, down from 365.5 million in Q3 2020. India’s smartphone shipments cross 52 million units in Q3 2021.
Samsung continues to occupy the biggest market share in Q3 2021. The brand has shipped 69.3 million units in Q3 2021, showing a 20% increase quarter to quarter. Due to the shortage in parts, Xiaomi reported a 5% reduction compared to the same period last year, but the brand shipped 44.4 million units.
On the other hand, Vivo has reported a growth of 8% compared to last year, reaching a shipment quantity of 33.7 million units. Vivo leads in China market. Realme is another smartphone brand that has achieved growth with a shipment performance of 16.2 million units in Q3 2021. Realme reported its highest-ever shipment performance despite all component shortages. Its sales were primarily driven by the performance of the Realme 8 series and the newly launched Narzo series.
HONOR reported that its shipments grew by 73% quarter-to-quarter, and it became the third-largest brand in China. Its shipments outside China showed a decline. OPPO grew 23% year-on-year and reported an 11.1% market share with 38.1 million units. It mainly showed strong shipments of the Reno 6 series, Find X3 and the OnePlus 9 series. OnePlus grew 55% YoY in India in Q3 2021, driven by the OnePlus Nord Series. During the quarter, OnePlus also registered its highest ever shipments in India.
The global handset market wholesale revenue grew 10% year on year and 6% quarter to quarter in Q3 2021 to reach over $103 billion.
High sales in mid-range and premium smartphones
The smartphone manufacturers faced a huge shortage of semiconductors, and the component saw a severe price hike in the September quarter. This forced some manufacturers to increase the price of their handsets. The trend affected the entry-level segment the most, but mid to high-end smartphones reported a strong shipment, driving the overall revenue. The brands aggressively marketed their mid-range and premium smartphones instead of the lower segment, resulting in high sales in that range.
The market had a better availability of 5G components. Hence, the companies pushed 5G handsets more. This provided an upgrade option for the consumers, adding to the sales.
Samsung refreshed its premium segment with the addition of its Fold series, and Apple added iPhone 13, adding to their revenue. Apple led the smartphone market revenue by capturing 37% of the market. Samsung increased its revenue by 32% quarter to quarter.
