Apple’s iPhones are reportedly the best-selling 5G smartphones in the world, beating rivals Xiaomi and Samsung in numbers of phones sold, and revenue. The Cupertino tech giant first introduced 5G connectivity to its iPhone lineup last year with the iPhone 12 series while some Android manufacturers had already started offering 5G enabled devices in 2019. Despite coming into the game a little later, Apple managed to capture 25% of the market share in this segment.
Apple’s iPhones are the most profitable 5G phones in the world, beating Xiaomi and Samsung
According to a new report from Strategy Analytics, Apple’s iPhones continued to remain at the top of the global 5G market as of Q3, 2021 despite Samsung having been expected to close the gap after Xiaomi saw its market-share stall.
“Xiaomi, which recorded dramatic growth in global 5G smartphone shipments in 2Q 2021, saw that growth stall in Q3 2021, with shipment growth flat sequentially in the most recent quarter,” says Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics. “Samsung’s resurgence blunted Xiaomi’s ability to grow in Europe in Q3 2021, while OPPO surged in China. Facing a combined one-two punch from Samsung outside of China and OPPO in China, Xiaomi saw demand for its 5G smartphones slow considerably in Q3 2021.”
The report further claims that Honor is the fastest growing 5G smartphone brand globally, ahead of Motorola, Samsung, Oppo, and Realme. “Honor was the fastest growing Android 5G smartphone brand QoQ in Q3 2021,” says Yiwen Wu, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics. “Honor 5G smartphones are rapidly increasing in popularity in China. Honor was formerly a sub-brand of Huawei but was spun out as an independent company earlier in the year. The company’s 50 5G, 50 SE 5G and 50 Pro 5G were its leading 5G smartphones in Q3 2021.”
According to recent rumors and reports, Apple will launch its third-gen iPhone SE with 5G connectivity in the first quarter of 2022. J.P. Morgan analysts suggest the smartphone has the potential to attract more than a billion non-premium Android users due to the addition of 5G connectivity. The budget-friendly option could help Apple attract more customers thereby increasing its market share.
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