Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi are the only brands whose smartphones made it to the top-10 list of those sold in 2021. According to a report from Counterpoint Research, iPhones had a spectacular year, and secured seven spots in the list --- its highest ever. What more, the top five were all swept by Apple iPhones.
The Chinese brand Xiaomi captured two spots in the top-10, while the Korean tech Samsung got itself a single spot. In all, there were more than 4,200 active smartphone models in the global market in 2021.
"The top 10 best-selling smartphone models contributed 19% to the total global smartphone unit sales in 2021, compared to 16% in 2020," Counterpoint said.
The share of the top 10 models is increasing, indicating a trend of brands focusing on their leading models.
iPhone 12 tops the chart
The iPhone 12 was the best-selling model, followed by the iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 11. The top three models contributed 41% to Apple’s total sales.
"The pending demand for 5G upgrades by a strong and loyal iOS user base and push from carriers led the iPhone 12 series volumes. Besides, the delayed launch of the iPhone 12 series shifted some holiday season demand to the initial months of 2021," Counterpoint pointed out.
The latest iPhone 13 series is performing well with the iPhone 13 becoming the best-selling model in Q4 2021, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro.
The first non-Apple phone in the list was Samsung’s Galaxy A12, an entry-level smartphone, which took the sixth position.
Almost all regions and countries showed strong demand for the A12 throughout the year. "Samsung’s choice of features for the A12, like good camera setup, big battery size, six memory configurations and longer software support, made the model a value-for-money product that clicked with customers." The Galaxy A13 (5G), its successor, is expected to carry on with the same momentum.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 9A and Redmi 9 entered the list in 2021, contributing 22% to the brand’s total sales. Xiaomi performed well across regions. China, India and Asia-Pacific were its top markets.
