Xiaomi on the Up as Samsung Tops Smartphone Makers Again

Samsung became the largest smartphone maker in the world in the first quarter, overtaking Apple. The South Korean giant accounted for a fifth of overall global sales, market research firm Canalys said.

Samsung Leading the Pack

In all, there were 347 million units were shipped by the smartphone makers, recording a 27% surge. This comes after the Chinese economy opened up after the pandemic, along with a swift vaccine rollout in the US, raising hopes of an economic recovery.

Together, Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi complete the podium. On the other hand, Oppo and Vivo also registered a surge in their smartphone demand.

The standings are as follows, as per the research firm:

1. Samsung shipped 76.5 million smartphones in the quarter.
   1. The South Korean company secure a 22% share of the market.
   2. The company on Thursday reported a 66% surge in quarterly profit in its mobile business.
   3. Galaxy S21 smartphone series registered excellent sales, powering the surge.
2. Apple shipped 52.4 million iPhones in the quarter.
   1. Apple fell to the second spot with a 15% market share.
   2. The Silicon Valley giant secured second spot after a great showing in the Chinese market, with overall sales nearly doubling.
   3. People upgrading to the new iPhone was still the major sales driver.
3. Xiaomi chalked up its best quarterly performance ever, shipping 49 million phone.
   1. That figure represents a surge of 62% and a market share of 14%.
4. Huawei, on the other hand, took 7th place, shipping 18.6 million units
   1. .The former top spot holder remains plagued by US sanctions.
   2. The telecom vendor sold its Honor brand last year.

Clouds on the Horizon for Smartphone Makers?

There was a real demand for smartphones and gadgets in the last year, fueled by the pandemic. In turn, that increased demand caused a global shortage in semiconductor chips, hurting various industries.

"Supply of critical components, such as chipsets, has quickly become a major concern, and will hinder smartphone shipments in the coming quarters," Ben Stanton, Research Manager, Canalys, said.

Apple said on Wednesday that the chip shortage could cost the company $3 billion to $4 billion in revenue in the April-June quarter, affecting primarily iPads and Macbooks.