Apple accounts for 22% of worldwide smartphone shipments in Q4 2021
Mumbai, NFAPost: Apple overtook Samsung to lead the global smartphone shipments in Q4 2021 owing to a strong demand for the iPhone 13, according to a report by Canalys.
As per the report, Apple accounted for 22% of worldwide smartphone shipments in Q4 2021 even as overall shipments for the quarter grew a mere 1% amid supply chain disruptions faced by vendors and a resurgence in Covid-19 cases.
Samsung came in second in terms of shipments, down from the top spot in Q3 2021, with a market share of 20%. Xiaomi maintained the third position with a 12% share. It was followed by Oppo and Vivo with 9% and 8% shares, respectively.
Important markets
Canalys Analyst Sanyam Chaurasia. said Apple is back at the top of the smartphone market after three quarters, driven by a stellar performance from the iPhone 13.
“Apple saw unprecedented iPhone performance in Mainland China, with aggressive pricing for its flagship devices keeping the value proposition strong. Apple’s supply chain is starting to recover, but it was still forced to cut production in Q4 amid shortages of key components and could not make enough iPhones to meet demand,” said Canalys Analyst Sanyam Chaurasia.
In prioritized markets, Canalys Analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said Apple maintained adequate delivery times, but in some markets its customers had to wait to get their hands on the latest iPhones.
Commenting on the development, Canalys Vice President Mobility Nicole Peng said supply chain disruption affected low-end vendors the most.
“Component manufacturers are eking out additional production, but it will take years for major foundries to significantly increase chip capacity. Smartphone brands are already innovating to make the most of their circumstances, tweaking device specs in response to available materials,” said Canalys Vice President Mobility Nicole Peng.
Besides approaching emerging chipmakers to secure new sources for ICs, Nicole Peng also said brands are innovating by focusing product lines on the best-selling models and staggering new product releases.
“These practices lend an advantage to larger brands, and they are set to stay for the short term, as bottlenecks will not ease until the second half of 2022,” said Canalys Vice President Mobility Nicole Peng.
