- Huawei falls out of the top 5, according to market researchers
- In shadow of 5G iPhone, Samsung also sees double-digit decline
(Bloomberg) —
Record iPhone shipments pushed Apple Inc. to the No. 1 position in the global smartphone market as Samsung Electronics Co.and Huawei Technologies Co. lost significant ground, market research firms said on Thursday.
Canalys and Counterpoint estimate iPhone shipments jumped to roughly 82 million units in the last quarter, marking a new high for Apple and crowning it the leading smartphone vendor. Samsung slumped more than 10% to just over 62 million shipments in a period that was marked by the release of the first 5G-enabled iPhones. Xiaomi Corp., Oppo and Vivo filled out the top five while Huawei suffered a 41% drop after U.S. sanctions deprived it of access to key suppliers and chipmakers.
Read more: Samsung Net Profit Misses Estimates After 5G iPhone’s Debut
“Huawei dramatically receded in most markets as the result of the U.S. sanctions,” said Canalys analyst Amber Liu. “Its decision to divest Honor, however, may prove vital, as Honor is not bound by the same restrictions and component supply is resuming.”
Huawei sold its budget-friendly sub-brand Honor at the end of the year, giving it a chance to regain supply of critical components. “Over the last year, our smartphone business has developed robustly, and tablet, PC and wearable have seen a significant growth. We remain confident about the future,” Huawei said in an email.
Read more: Apple Supplier Murata Expects Half Billion 5G Phones in New Year
The new iPhones boosted Apple’s revenue to more than $100 billion for the first time, with Tim Cook telling analysts on Wednesday that customer response to the new models has been “enthusiastic even in light of the ongoing Covid-19.”
A widely predicted recovery from the coronavirus slump appears to be taking hold in the smartphone market. “Apple is championing 5G sales and it will be the catalyst for 5G adoption in many countries across the world,” said IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo. Executives at component maker Murata Manufacturing Co. and chipmaker MediaTek Inc. have said they expect to see half a billion 5G handsets shipped this year.