Xiaomi Now World’s Third Biggest Smartphone Firm Beating Apple

On the back of the good news from India, it seems the global smartphone market is showing signs of recovery too. According to research from IDC, global smartphone shipments topped 353 million in Q3 2020, just shy of the levels recorded a year prior. But some OEMs recovered more than others.

It was a positive quarter for Samsung. Although it grew by just 2.9% year-over-year, this was enough to retake the smartphone market lead from Huawei. The Korean firm shipped 80.4 million units for a 22.7% market share. This time, its position isn’t disputed either. Both Canalys and Counterpoint recorded Samsung as the top smartphone maker in Q3 2020 as Huawei’s decline continues.

While Huawei still claims second place worldwide, Xiaomi is threatening to topple it. Again.

Counterpoint’s finding is in contrast to what research firm Canalys reported last week. According to Canalys, Xiaomi held the top spot in India with 26.1% of the market share in Q3 2020, ahead of Samsung’s 20.4%.

Realme reportedly had a bumper Q3 2020. Counterpoint suggests the firm saw the strongest growth among OEMs globally, with a 132% increase in quarter-over-quarter shipments. The research firm places it in seventh place globally. OnePlus saw quarterly growth of 96% buoyed by its performance in India and Western Europe.