Apple gained a top spot in the global smartphone market in Q4 2021 and accounted for 22 percent of smartphone exports worldwide, according to a Canalys report.
The company has managed to beat Samsung at the top as it has seen strong sales despite supply chain problems. Other brands of smartphones that have managed to keep their place in the list are Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.
Strong sales were driven mainly by the new iPhone 13 series, which Apple did not expect to impress customers after the company delayed the sale of devices.
“Apple saw an unprecedented iPhone performance in Mainland China, with aggressive prices on its flagship devices that keep the price proposal strong,” the report said.
A source quoted said that Apple’s sales were affected after it decided to reduce production due to a lack of essential nutrients, but has now begun to recover, the report said.
A recent Bloomberg report revealed that Apple has cut production plans for the iPhone 13 by 10 million units, due to a shortage of chips worldwide. However, the company expects the goods to improve by 2022.
Although Apple is at the top of the global smartphone shipping market, Samsung is the only company to see growth compared to Q4 2020.
The brand accounted for 20 percent of smartphone exports worldwide, up from 17 percent in 2020 . Apple had a 23 percent market share, down 1 percent in 2021.
Meanwhile, the report shows that Xiaomi has managed to retain its position and market share by 2021. The Chinese company ranks third on the list with 12 percent of phones sold worldwide.
Oppo and Vivo ranked fourth and fifth with 9 percent and 8 percent respectively, according to the report.
Besides, the report says the global semiconductor shortage problem is real and affects other callers instead of Apple alone.
Canalys has reported that the issue will not be resolved at least until the second half of 2022 and that OEMs may continue to face difficulties due to partial shortages.
It says several brands have already begun to adjust the device specs in response to available features.
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