Apple topped Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone maker in the fourth quarter

Apple surpassed Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone provider during the fourth quarter of 2020, a feat that Apple hasn’t achieved since 2016, according to Gartner market data.

In the last quarter of 2020, Apple sold 80 million new iPhones, driven largely by the launch of the first 5G-compatible iPhone series. Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner, says 5G and enhanced camera features helped convince customers to upgrade to iPhone 12 models during the last quarter of the year.

While consumers remained cautious in their spending and withheld some discretionary purchases, 5G smartphones and pro-camera features encouraged some end users to buy new smartphones or upgrade their smartphones. Current agents during the quarter.

Compared to 2019, Apple sold an additional 10 million iPhones in the fourth quarter and saw its global smartphone market share rise nearly 15%. Samsung, Apple’s closest rival, saw its market share decline by 11.8% and sold about eight million fewer devices compared to just a year ago, according to market data.

The increase in Apple’s market share of about 15% was a “refresher supercycle,” according to Annette Zimmerman, Apple’s chief analyst at Gartner, quoted by Financial Times. In the first quarter of 2021, Apple recorded its largest number of “iPhone” updates ever, according to CEO Tim Cook. The “iPhone” alone generated revenue of more than $ 65 billion during the first quarter of the year.

However, to get an overview, global smartphone sales fell 12.5% ​​in 2020. Of the top five smartphone makers, Apple and Xiaomi were the only two unharmed by the overall drop in sales. Apple’s growth comes despite it launching its ‌iphone 12‌ series outside the normal September deadline due to the global health crisis.

Overall, the rapid growth in 5G adoption around the world drove demand for 5G-enabled smartphones. In a year hit by economic hardship, consumers were looking for low-end, affordable 5G smartphones, rather than high-end models priced at up to $ 1,500. In that sense, the iPhone 12 mini, while reportedly malfunctioning compared to other iPhone 12 models, probably helped Apple outperform Samsung thanks to its small form factor and the relatively affordable price of 699 dollars.

Looking ahead to 2021, Gartner expects the availability of lower-end 5G smartphones, such as the iPhone 12 mini, to be a “deciding factor for end users to upgrade their existing smartphones.” Apple is expected to continue with the “mini” model for next year’s model and it is rumored that the entire line of iPhone 13 includes a Touch ID sensor on the screen, always on display and improved cameras.