Samsung Led Smartphone Shipments in Q1 2021, Apple Made Most Money: Report

The latest Counterpoint Research global smartphone shipments report for Q1 2021 is out and it claims that smartphone shipments revenue crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time for a March-ending quarter to reach $113 billion. The total global shipments grew 20 percent YoY, reaching 354 million units. Apple led the revenue segment with 42 percent global smartphone OEM revenue share. In shipments, Samsung continued to lead with 21.7 percent global smartphone OEM shipments share. Samsung shipments reached 76.8 million units in Q1 2021.

Apple iPhone's active installed base reached a new high this quarter, Counterpoint reports. The strong performance of the iPhone 12 series helped Apple to clock record first-quarter revenue with 42 percent in global revenue share. iPhone revenue grew in double digits across all its geographic segments. While Apple's revenue was the highest in the global smartphone market, its shipment share stood at 16.8 percent.

Samsung led the global smartphone shipments market with 21.7 percent market share. It came in the second spot in the revenue share segment with 17.5 percent stake, according to Counterpoint. Samsung's growth, both in terms of revenue and shipments, is primarily attributed to the success of its latest Galaxy S21 series. Samsung's mid-end Galaxy A-series was another major driver along with the niche foldable smartphone segment.

Counterpoint says Xiaomi recorded smartphone shipments of 48.5 million, majorly driven by markets like China, India, Spain, Italy, Russia and Indonesia. Xiaomi raked in 13.7 percent of the global smartphone shipments market share, coming in the third position behind Samsung and Apple. In the global smartphone OEM revenue share segment, Xiaomi comes in the fifth position with 7.6 percent stake.

Oppo shipped 38 million units globally, growing at a staggering 70 percent YoY. In the Counterpoint global smartphone shipments graph, Oppo sits on the fourth position with 10.7 percent market share. Vivo‘s shipments grew by 64 percent YoY to reach its highest ever, 35.5 million units, in Q1 2021 driven by growth in China, where it has reached leadership position during the quarter. Vivo comes in fifth with 10 percent global smartphone shipments market share.