Apple’s 5G iPhone 12 series pushed it to the top of the smartphone heap in the fourth quarter of 2020 ahead of Samsung.
The last time Apple took the top spot was in 4Q 2016, Gartner said Monday.
Apple sold nearly 80 million smartphones in 4Q, for a 21% market share and a 15% improvement over 4Q 2019, Gartner reported. Gartner’s 4Q sales for Apple are significantly below the 90 million reported by IDC in January.
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Despite its strong 4Q showing, Apple was second to Samsung for all of 2020. Apple reached about 15% market share and sales of 200 million smartphones. Samsung had nearly 19% market share with sales of 253 million smartphones.
Apple and Xiaomi were the only companies in top five to see growth in 2020, which was a down year for smartphones. Across all brands, 2020 sales were down 12.5%.
Huawei saw the biggest percentage decline of 24% in 2020, Gartner reported, and was hurt by the ban on use of Google apps in its smartphones.
Sales of 5G smartphones by all vendors along with low- and mid-priced phones minimized the market decline in the fourth quarter, Gartner said. The 4Q decline was 5.4% compared to a year earlier. Huawei, again, saw the biggest impact with a 41% decline over 4Q 2019.
Consumers remained cautious in their spending in 4Q and held off discretionary buying, but 5G smartphones and pro-camera encouraged some users to buy new smartphones or upgrade, said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner. Apple CEO Tim Cook reported earlier more upgrades to the iPhone 12 family ever seen in a quarter.
Lower cost 5G smartphones and innovative features will help sales in 2021, he said. “Rising demand for affordable smartphones outside China will boost smartphone sales in 2021,” Gupta said.
High-end smartphones can cost up to $1,500, while smaller models cost far less, like the iPhone 12 mini priced at $699.
Apple reportedly will continue the iPhone mini when it announces its iPhone 13 phones in the fall. That family of phones is expected to include an under-the-screen Touch ID sensor and an always-on display.