A number of industry analyst companies have issued global smartphone shipment figures illustrating large year-on-year increases the first quarter of 2021.
Each of the reports show Samsung shipping the most units and Huawei declining after its disposal of Honor and also due to US sanctions.
Subsequent to Strategy Analytics releasing Q1 shipment report earlier this month, putting global shipment at 340 million plus, Omdia, Canalys and IDC have also put out global estimates, all pointing to a similar trend and boom.
IDC’s figure was 346 million devices shipped (a 25.5 per cent rise on Q1 2020); Canalys 347 million (up 27 per cent); and Omdia 353 million (28 per cent higher).
All of the commentators had Samsung on top of the market followed by Apple and Xiaomi. Oppo and Vivo made up all top fives, with all but Omdia placing Oppo ahead of its rival for fourth.
Following the divestment of Honor and well publicised issues Huawei fell out of the top three spot it held in Q1 2020.
Omdia placed Huawei sixth and Canalys seventh in the recent quarter. The other analysis companies only list the top five with Huawei under “others” alongside former unit Honor.
IDC research director Nabila Popal acknowledged the recent figures were flattered by being compared “against one of the worst quarters in smartphone history”, referring to an opening quarter of 2020 when Covid-19 (coronavirus) meant “the bulk of the supply chain was at a halt and China was in full lockdown”.
But she noted the “growth is still very real: when compared to two years ago, shipments are 11 per cent higher”.
“The growth is coming from years of repressed refresh cycles with a boost from 5G.”
