It seems that price is not a limiting factor when it comes to smartphones and despite the effects of the pandemic. In the Q1 2021 report of Counterpoint, Apple’s iPhone 12 series dominated the best-selling list for Q1 2021—both in terms of volume and value.
In terms of revenue share, global smartphone revenues for Q1 2021 breached the $100 billion mark, with Apple dominating with the iPhone 12 series (1st to 3rd, 6th) and iPhone 11 (4th). Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series (5th, 7th, 9th) made it to the top 10, while the Huawei Mate 40 Pro was able to secure the 8th spot. On a per-region basis, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the preferred phone in the US, while those who want Android instead show that the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G presented better sales in the US and Europe. Looking through the top 10 list, the majority of the phones included have 5G capabilities, signifying that 5G is now a standard in the premium segment.
The iPhone 12 series is also the top-selling phones in Q1 2021 in terms of volume as well, based on the same report by Counterpoint. Factors like a much-awaited 5G upgrade, increased demand, and the late launch of the iPhone 12 series were among the major factors for its high volume sales. The 4G-only iPhone 11 still ranked high at 4th place as there is still a demand for iPhones sans 5G connectivity.
Going to Android phones, Xiaomi’s Redmi 9A, Redmi 9, and Redmi Note 9 are best sellers for the Chinese brand, which is primarily driven by their strong performance in China and India (Redmi 9A) and Southeast Asia (Redmi Note 9). The strong performance of the three phones helped Xiaomi cement its reputation for being the top brand of choice for the under-$150(~Php 7.2k) price segment.
Like with the top 10 selling phones by revenue share, Samsung also got a good share of the top 10 selling phones by volume, as entry-level models like the Galaxy A12, A21s, and A31 captured the 7th, 9th, and 10th places, with Latin America, Middle East, and India as the key market drivers.
