In the September quarter, South Korean tech giant Samsung became the number one smartphone brand. Samsung recaptured the top spot in India and hit its highest market share since 2018, according to the latest Counterpoint survey. In April, Samsung lost the top spot to Huawei due to sharp declines in its major markets of India and Europe. But in July and August, Samsung rebounded as India recovered from a nationwide lockdown.
In India, Samsung performed well and this revival in India also helped Samsung in July-August to regain the top position in the global market. According to experts, the revival of Samsung in the nation can be attributed to its aggressive strategy for online platforms, which allowed them to take advantage of the opportunities arising from anti-China sentiments. To assist their offline retail partners, it also introduced an online-to-offline (O2O) business model and hyperlocal distribution. At the end of August, the company’s global market share was 22 percent, while Huawei’s had declined to 16 percent. Apple remained undisturbed in the third position with 12 percent business
Samsung is widening the gap with market No. 2 Huawei. After achieving its highest global share of 21% in April, Huawei’s market share is expected to fall further in the future due to US trade sanctions.
In the off-season period, Apple has managed to maintain its share well. We expect sales to increase with the launch of the new iPhone 12 series on October 13, but only in November, as the launch is later than in previous years. The iPhone 11 series’ long lifecycle and popular new iPhone SE would help Apple bridge the gap until then.
Xiaomi is showing a significant increase in its market share, especially in markets where Huawei, such as Central Eastern Europe, used to have a strong presence.
Research analyst Minsoo Kang said, “In many respects, geopolitical policies and political affairs between nations affect the smartphone market.” To capture opportunities in these regions and segments, there will be an increased marketing activity. As a result, the concentration of the mobile market’s top players would be even higher. We see players that profit the most, such as Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, and OPPO.
