Xiaomi sales grew 65% in 2020, fills gap left by Huawei

During the same period, Bibo and Oppo respectively sold more than 38.7 million and 38.3 million units — with sales up by 73% and 60% from the year before

(Reuters/Yonhap News)

Huawei, a company that once vied with Samsung Electronics for first place in terms of global smartphone market share, may be facing troubles amid US sanctions against China — but other Chinese companies like Xiaomi, Bibo, and Oppo are now filling the gap it left behind in the global market.

According to figures from the global research firm Gartner, Xiaomi ranked third from global smartphone market share during the first quarter of this year, while Bibo and Oppo were tied for fifth. The performances point to major strides by Chinese smartphone companies.

Between March 2020 and March 2021, Xiaomi sold over 48.9 million smartphones, an increase of 65% from the year before. Its market share amounted to 12.9%.

During the same period, Bibo and Oppo respectively sold more than 38.7 million and 38.3 million units — with sales up by 73% and 60% from the year before. They each posted a market share of 10.2%.

The companies’ growth is being attributed to strong demand for new 5G smartphones during the first quarter of 2021, as well as a dropoff in smartphone shipments by competitors such as Huawei and LG Electronics. Huawei has suffered setbacks to its smartphone production as it wrestles with semiconductor supply issues amid the US sanctions that have been in place since the second half of last year, while LG Electronics announced in April that it was closing its smartphone unit.

During the first quarter of 2021, Samsung ranked first for global market share with 20.3%, followed by Apple in second with 15.5%.

According to the latest figures, total global smartphone sales for the first quarter exceeded 378 million, an increase of 26% from the year before.

By Sun Dam-eun, staff reporter

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