“Compared with Samsung and Apple, its average selling price is around 40% and 75% cheaper respectively,” said Canalys Research Manager Ben Stanton. “So a major priority for Xiaomi this year is to grow sales of its high-end devices, such as the Mi 11 Ultra. But it will be a tough battle, with Oppo and Vivo sharing the same objective, and both willing to spend big on above-the-line marketing to build their brands in a way that Xiaomi is not.”
Read more: China Drives Phone Market Recovery as Huawei Falls Out of Top 5
Overseas expansion was the biggest driver of Xiaomi’s growth, with the company increasing shipments by more than 300% in Latin America, 150% across Africa and 50% in Western Europe, Canalys said. The Mi device maker has spent the first half of the year contesting the title of biggest smartphone maker in China with rivals Oppo and Vivo, each with roughly equal share of the market.
The second quarter is traditionally the quietest period for Apple and Samsung as both prepare for new handset launches in the following months. The iPhone maker has asked suppliers to build as many as 90 million next-generation iPhones this year, a sharp increase from its 2020 iPhone shipments, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.
Become an Insider
Canalys are wrong by their own admission and mathematics. By their ranking, Oppo and Vivo tie for 4th place, each with 10%. Both are made by private Chinese conglomerate BBK Electronics, easily the world’s largest smartphone maker and by a wide margin. Combined, these two brands outgun number 1 Samsung, at 19%. But 20% understates BBK’s market share: they also make OnePlus, RealMe and IQOO. RealMe adds another 5%; OnePlus (BBK’s flagship brand) and newly launched IQOO another approximately 2%. BBK 27%; Samsung 200%.
Samsung 20%