Now Samsung isn't the world's biggest smartphone seller, either

Samsung Logo
(Image credit: Samsung)

A new report has claimed that Samsung has lost its spot as the world's biggest smartphone manufacturer to Chinese challenger Xiaomi.

The latest figures from Counterpoint Research believe Xiaomi has toppled Samsung for number one spot worldwide following an incredible period of growth over the past few months.

The firm's research found Xiaomi’s sales grew 26% in June 2021 compared to the previous month, catapulting it past Apple and Samsung for the number one spot. The growth gave Xiaomi 17.1% of the global smartphone market, overtaking Samsung on 15.7%.

Xiaomi top spot

The news follows a great few months for Xiaomi, with multiple industry observers highlighting the company's growth and success in 2021 so far.

According to a recent report from analyst firm Strategy Analytics, the company also overtook Samsung to become the largest smartphone firm in the EMEA region in Q2 2021 following a massive 67.1% increase in shipments compared to the previous year.

A separate report from Omdia also recently claimed Xiaomi was also now the second-largest smartphone vendor globally (behind Samsung) following a surge of shipments in 2021.

Its lead could only continue to grow over the next few months, as Xiaomi is currently gearing up for the launch of its new flagship smartphone lineup and other products including the Mi Pad 5 series on August 10.

Counterpoint Research noted that the decline of fellow Chinese firms Huawei and Honor had created a vacuum for Xiaomi to exploit, with the company seeing big gains in its native country.

Samsung's output was not helped by a wave of Covid-19 cases across its key production plants in Vietnam, which disrupted supply and could have a longer-lasting effect for the company.

TOPICS
Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.

Read more
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Honor Magic 7 Pro, side by side
Chinese flagship phones are great value for money, but they won't stay cheaper for much longer – here's why
Xiaomi SU7
Xiaomi's EV is racing ahead of Tesla in China – and it's planning a global Model Y rival next
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus against a houseplant
Xiaomi tipped to set impressive new phone battery benchmark in 2025 – and I hope Apple and Samsung are taking notes
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
If this Xiaomi 15 Ultra camera rumor is true, it could rival the Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Xiaomi 14 on a red background
Best Xiaomi phones 2025: top Mi, Poco, and Redmi devices ranked
Three-image composite; A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Snapdragon 8 Elite graphic, and see-through iPhone 16 Pro
AI step aside – 3 ways phone hardware could finally get interesting again in 2025
Latest in Phone & Communications
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Privacy Hero II
I tested this secure router and the bundled year of VPN service feels mostly like a marketing exercise
ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola
I reviewed the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola and while it's not as fast as its predecessor, it's the superior phone in so many ways
FRITZ!Box 7690 WiFi 7 Router
FRITZ!Box tries to embrace both business and home customers with its new 7690 router
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal
Other than screen reflection, I’m still looking for the downside to the Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal tablet
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849
Carrying the Unihertz Tank Pad 8849 provided me with a full workout
Latest in News
The Google Gemini logo against a black background.
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's upcoming Flash 2.0 built-in image upgrade
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all