iPhone 12 Dominates Smartphone Revenue Share, Volume in Q1

Apple iPhone 12 series has captured one-third of the revenues of the 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, according to Counterpoint Research Global Handset Model Tracker, Q1 2021 report.

The flagship iPhone 12 Pro Max captured the highest revenue share of 12% in Q1 2021, as the global smartphone revenues reached more than $100 billion in Q1 2021, setting a first-quarter record driven by the flagships.

The top 10 list of highest revenue grossing models in Q1 2021 was dominated by Apple and Korea’s Samsung.

Revenue-wise, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 11, and the Samsung S21 Ultra 5G trailed the flagship iPhone12 model.

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, supported by strong carrier promotions.

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.

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

The top 10 highest revenue grossing models captured about 46% of the global smartphone revenues, in contrast to the volumes, where the top 10 best-selling models captured only 21% of the global smartphone volumes.

“This also indicates the advantages of being present in the premium segment (>$400), which contributed to 65% of the global smartphone revenues in Q1 2021,” the 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 is yet to launch, it added.

“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 said.

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 percent 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.

May 25, 2021