The past 18 months have thrown the smartphone market royalty into disarray. It had been no surprise that Huawei was dethroned from its coveted spot but getting booted out of the world’s Top 5 was still painful. Samsung barely maintains a lead within the global market after decreasing shipments, while Apple remains stable against all odds. Amidst this reshuffling, Xiaomi is emerging because the strongest contender, having surpassed even Samsung half-moon, a minimum of in Europe.
It has always been a routine between smartphone makers, especially within the crowded Android market, but recent changes are shaking things up a touch. With Huawei’s exit in many listings, the chance for Chinese brands like Xiaomi and OPPO to require over has never been greater. Because the latest data from Europe proves, Xiaomi took advantage of that situation.
Strategy Analytics says that Xiaomi shipped 12.7 million smartphones within the region within the second quarter of 2021, up by 67.1% from last year’s equivalent period. It narrowly beat Samsung, which shipped 12 million units, but the Korean brand lost shares. Despite its 15.7% year-on-year growth, Apple was pushed to 3rd place.
However, the biggest growers were OPPO and Realme, despite having rock bottom shipment volumes among the highest 5. OPPO shipped only 2.8 million but grew by 180%, while Realme’s astounding 1800% growth was because of just one .9 million smartphones shipped. Huawei is nowhere to be seen, but neither is Vivo.
These might be numbers, but it reflects a big change in market trends, a minimum of Europe. Consumers are gravitating far away from the likes of Samsung and Apple to urge their smartphone fix, especially with new affordable 5G devices. More importantly, brands like Xiaomi and OPPO are beginning to be seen in a more favorable light in recent years, providing enough threat to longtime market leaders in several regions of the planet.
