Gartner says global smartphone sales rose 10.8% in the second quarter of 2021, as rebounding demand and 5G phones helped drive growth despite ongoing production challenges.
A total of 328.8 million handsets were sold in the three-month period, with manufacturers burdened with supply chain constraints and component shortages caused by Covid-19.
“The enhanced shelter-in-place instructions and factory closures in India and Vietnam due to the second wave of COVID-19, as well as the closure of retail businesses and restrictions on online deliveries have negatively affected smartphone sales in the second quarter after a strong start to 2021,” said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner.
Smartphone sales
“However, regions with higher penetration of 5G connectivity have seen strong demand for 5G smartphones and have been growth drivers for major smartphone vendors.”
“Smartphone demand remained strong this quarter, with buyers preferring higher specs and better user experience. Pent-up demand from 2020 continues to give global smartphone vendors an edge in 2021.”
Samsung remains the world’s largest manufacturer, with the launch of midrange and entry-level handsets helping to boost sales, but its market share has fallen from 18.4% to 17.6%. The Korean electronics giant was not immune to the aforementioned issues facing the entire industry.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi continued its rapid expansion beyond its traditional markets, overtaking Apple to secure the second spot. Sales rose 80.5% to 51 million handsets thanks to investments in retail channels and carrier partnerships, giving the Chinese vendor a 15.5% market share.
Apple’s sales rose from 28.4 million to 49.3 million, leaving it in third place ahead of Oppo and Vivo -0 which both made gains.
“Apple’s aggressive sales promotion for its iPhone 11 series smartphones and iPhone SE (2020) has contributed to its growth in the price-sensitive segment,” Gupta added.
