Samsung Retains Its Top Spot As Global Smartphone Shipments Shrink in Q3 2021

Global smartphone sales figures for Q3 2021 are out, and it is a bit of a surprise. Canalys, one of the leading technology market analyst firms, has released preliminary estimates on the worldwide smartphone market for Q3 2021. As per the report, global smartphone shipments fell by 6% due to the ongoing chip shortage. Despite this, Samsung has managed to retain its top spot. As a result of the US sanctions, Huawei, which ranked second in Q3 2020, has dropped out of the top five brands this year. Let us find out which brand poses a threat to Samsung’s dominance going forward.

Top Five Smartphone Brands in Q3 2021 Globally

Samsung finished the third quarter of 2021 with a 23% global smartphone market share. It is followed by Apple, which reclaimed its second spot after the fall of Huawei. The Cupertino-based company’s market share increased from 12% to 15%, mostly driven by strong demand for its iPhone 13 line-up. Apple has outstripped Xiaomi, which continues to hover at around 14% share. The fourth and fifth spots are taken by Vivo and OPPO with a 10% market share each.

It is worth noting that Canalys includes OnePlus‘ numbers under OPPO. However, it treats Vivo and OPPO as separate entities although both these brands are owned by BBK Electronics. If you consider OPPO, Vivo, and OnePlus as a single company, it is currently the second-biggest smartphone brand after Samsung, with a combined market share of 20%. BBK Electronics clearly has the potential to challenge Samsung in the coming months.

Smartphone Market Trends To Watch Out For

In addition to shedding light on global smartphone shipment numbers, Canalys also commented on the ongoing chip shortage. According to the research firm, global chipset shortages are unlikely to ease “until well into 2022”. This will lead to a bump in the prices of most smartphones.

As per Canalys Principal Analyst, Ben Stanton, with inventories already running low, the brand will go easy on price cuts during the festive sales across the globe.