Although the lack of semiconductor chips thwarted many plans and the fourth quarter did not go as desired for most manufacturers, the global smartphone market saw growth last year. This is shown by two current studies by the analysis institutes International Data Corporation (IDC) and Counterpoint Research.
As figures from US companies consistently show, smartphone manufacturers were able to look forward to an increase in sales. Depending on the market research institute, growth was four or 5.7 percent. According to IDC and Counterpoint Research, this is the first growth in the market since 2017.
At the top of the manufacturer rankings, little has changed compared to the first year of the pandemic, 2020. With a market share of around one fifth, the South Korean supplier Samsung is in the lead. They are followed by the US group Apple and China’s up-and-coming Xiaomi. In 2020, Samsung also had a 20 percent market share, Apple came to 15.9 percent and Xiaomi to 11.5 percent. These three companies together make up more than half of the market.
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Development on the global smartphone market 2021
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Return of Motorola
Demand played into the hands of the manufacturers last year, especially in the first half of the year. According to the analysts, this was due to catch-up effects in regions such as North America, Latin America and India on the one hand and to demand in the USA and India on the other. The world’s largest smartphone market, China, on the other hand, has declined due to the shortage in the chip market, they say.
The development among smaller manufacturers is also remarkable. So Motorola seems to be making a comeback. According to Counterpoint Research, the Lenovo subsidiary was the fastest growing brand among the top ten vendors. This is not least due to LG’s withdrawal from smartphone production. Motorola was able to fill the gap here in the US market. The year was also very successful for Realme, which is now the fifth largest Android manufacturer.
IDC’s Ryan Reith expects continued growth in the smartphone market this year. In the first half of the year there were “further supply-related and logistical challenges”, but the forecasts for the second half of the year were good. “Demand for smartphones is still strong in many markets. There is increasing consumer interest in 5G and new forms such as foldable devices,” says Reith.
If you look at the development over the past six years, you can see a constant ups and downs on the smartphone market. The industry reached its highest level of smartphone sales in 2017 with 1.5 billion. What is striking is that the market shares of the large providers are constantly increasing. Experts expect that this fact will hardly change in the next few years. (Rome)
Source: Nachrichten
