The overall sales contraction reported in the smartphone market for the quarter of Q4-2020 hit hard in smaller manufacturers, only Apple and Samsung managed to capitalize on the opportunities.
Although the smartphone market suffered a contraction in sales of only 6% compared to the same period in 2019, the syncopes on supply chains and the trend of reorienting buyers to established brands hit hard in the sales of less privileged manufacturers.
According to data provided by Counterpoint Research, Apple and Samsung were the only OEMs to report sales growth in the last quarter of 2020. Apple achieved results beyond expectations with the new iPhone 12 series. Instead, Samsung attributes the 5% increase in quarterly sales especially the Galaxy S20 FE model, very well sold towards the end of 2020.
The demand for iPhone 12 has in many cases exhausted the available stocks, the telephony operators running promotional campaigns that attracted both new buyers and those who came for the upgrade.
The success of the Samsung S20 FE 5G is mainly attributed to the price range of 1000 USD, attracting buyers who want to spend less for a premium flagship, purchased in times of pandemic.
Instead, companies such as Motorola, Alcatel, HMD Global and even Google had to manage abysmal falls in sales, entering the year 2021 with massive losses to recover. Unfortunately for them, regaining lost customers in favor of giants Apple and Samsung will be a long process.
