iPhone 12 series grabs 1/3rd of global smartphone sales in Q1

The iPhone Pro Max captured the highest revenue in the industry, followed by the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 11 and the Samsung S21 Ultra 5G.

New Delhi: Apple iPhone 12 series has captured one-third of the revenues of smartphone industry globally, as global sales of the industry crossed the $100-billion mark in Q1 2021, setting a first-quarter record driven by the flagships, a new report said on Friday.

The iPhone Pro Max captured the highest revenue in the industry, followed by the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 11 and the Samsung S21 Ultra 5G.

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In terms of volume, the iPhone 12 was the best-selling model in Q1 2021, followed by the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro, according to Counterpoint Research.

“In some regions, consumers preferred to buy higher variants of the devices. The iPhone 12 Pro Max was the best-selling model in the US. The S21 Ultra 5G also sold more than the lower variants in the US and Europe,” the report showed.

The S21 series, which was launched at cheaper prices than the S20 series, was also supported by strong carrier promotions.

With the exception of the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2020, all the models in the list were 5G capable and 5G has now become a standard offering in the premium segment, the report noted.

The top 10 highest revenue grossing models captured close to 46 per cent of the global smartphone revenues, which are a lot more consolidated than the volumes, where the top 10 best-selling models captured only 21 per cent of the global smartphone volumes.

“This also indicates the advantages of being present in the premium segment (over $400), which contributed to 65 per cent of the global smartphone revenues in Q1 2021,” the Counterpoint Research report said.

The iPhone 11 captured the fourth spot as it remains a popular choice for users looking for lower-cost Apple devices and in markets like India where 5G services are still elusive.

“The importance of the premium segment in terms of revenue contribution is one of the reasons many Chinese OEMs, like OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi, are eyeing it,” it added.

The volume list also featured devices from the affordable segment.
The strong performance of the Redmi 9A, Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9 helped Xiaomi maintain its pole position in the sub-$150 price band globally, capturing a 19 per cent share in the segment.

Samsung was the only other OEM featuring in the top 10 list. The Galaxy A12, A21S and A31 captured the seventh, ninth and tenth positions respectively, the report said.