'Back and Forth' Samsung vs Apple... Samsung Wins February with Galaxy S21

February Global Smartphone Sales Survey
Market Research Firm SA Reports
Samsung Maintains 1st Place with 23.1% Market Share
Apple's Sales Surge 74% Year-on-Year

Samsung Electronics Galaxy S21 Ultra [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Samsung Electronics succeeded in reclaiming the top spot overall by selling 24 million smartphones in February, the first month after the launch of the Galaxy S21, recording a market share of 23.1%. However, Apple, which dropped from first to second place in market share last month, is closely chasing Samsung Electronics thanks to the unprecedented popularity of the iPhone 12.

According to market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA) on the 28th, Samsung Electronics sold 24 million units in the global smartphone market in February this year, recording first place with a 23.1% market share. Apple, in second place, sold 23 million units, accounting for 22.2%. They were followed by Xiaomi (11.5%), Vivo (10.6%), and Oppo (8.5%) in that order.

Samsung, which had lost the number one market share last month, has regained its pride. In January this year, Apple’s market share was 25.4%, while Samsung Electronics’ share was 15.6%. This was due to the continued popularity of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series, which Apple launched at the end of last year.

The success in the rebound in February is attributed to Samsung Electronics’ strategy of unveiling the Galaxy S21 earlier than usual on January 21. Samsung Electronics used to unveil new Galaxy S models around mid-February and officially launch them in early March, but it attempted this strategic change to counter Apple and fill the void left by Huawei. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, sales of the Galaxy S21 in the U.S. during the four weeks after its launch exceeded three times that of its predecessor, the Galaxy S20.

The increase in individual sales volume for both Samsung Electronics and Apple exceeded the global smartphone market growth rate of 25% in February. Samsung Electronics’ smartphone sales in February were about 26% higher than the same month last year and about 12% higher than February 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19. In Apple’s case, thanks to the unprecedented popularity of the iPhone 12, February sales increased by 74% compared to the same month last year and by 35% compared to February 2019.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.