Xiaomi overtakes Apple in global smartphone shipments in Q3: IDC

New Delhi: As the worldwide smartphone market showed signs of improvement in the third quarter of this year, Xiaomi surpassed Apple for the first time with a 13.1 per cent market share and 42 per cent growth, according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).

While Xiaomi shipped 46.5 million devices to grab the number three position globally, Apple shipped 41.6 million smartphones in the quarter, down 10.6 per cent year over year, which placed the company in the fourth position with 11.8 per cent share, said the report on Thursday.

Samsung reclaimed the top position in Q3 with a market share of 22.7 per cent after shipping 80.4 million smartphones, up 2.9 per cent year over year, according to IDC.

Huawei lost the top spot and settled into the second position in Q3 with 51.9 million smartphones shipped and 14.7 per cent share.

Worldwide smartphone shipments declined just 1.3 per cent year over year, according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

In total, 353.6 million smartphones were shipped during the quarter.

India, which is the second largest market globally, witnessed very strong volumes during the quarter despite concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other emerging markets, such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Russia, which rank fourth, fifth, and sixth in the world, also experienced strong growth.

“Although there was an element of pent-up demand that fuelled market growth, it was mainly the array of heavy promotions and discounts that accelerated growth in these markets,” Nabila Popal, Research Director with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, said in a statement.

“In India, distance learning has actually boosted the demand for low-end smartphones as they are a more affordable option compared to tablets. The increased low-end demand only further increases competition and adds pressure to the vendors’ bottom line.”

Larger, more developed markets like China, Western Europe, and North America all witnessed the largest declines in Q3.

Given these are the largest markets for Apple, the month’s delay in the iPhone 12 launch contributed to the decline, IDC said.