Another report claims Apple has lost its No. 2 position globally, but names new Chinese company – Times of India

NEW DELHI: After Canalys, here’s another report that claims Apple has lost no. 2 position in the smartphone market globally. According to research firm Counterpoint, Oppo surpassed Apple in the months of April and May 2021 to become the second-largest smartphone manufacturer after Samsung.
Please note that Oppo brand here includes the company’s sister brands Realme and OnePlus. Oppo utilizes the following brands as part of its global strategy:
* Oppo – offline and mid-to low-end smartphones
* Realme – online lower-tier smartphones; set up as a fully-owned subsidiary
* OnePlus – premium smartphones; now merged with Oppo

“Oppo and its subsidiaries’ combined global smartphone sales surpassed Apple and Xiaomi in April and May taking the vendor to second place globally,” said Jene Park, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. According to Park, this is the combined result of the company’s multi-brand strategy which includes the premium OnePlus and more accessible Realme.
Looking forward, Park speculates that the Oppo family may likely be the next dominant brand to come from China since Huawei. Oppo is followed by Apple at 15% and Xiaomi, which stands at fourth position with 14% market share.
Samsung, Huawei and Apple have dominated the world smartphone market in the last few years. However, the dynamics and market share saw a major change with the US imposed ban on Huawei, which saw the company losing its position in the top 5 in the global smartphone market. The ban on Huawei has helped Chinese companies like Oppo and Xiaomi gain traction, especially in the European market.
Meanwhile, in related news research firm Canalys recently named Xiaomi as the world’s second biggest smartphone brand in terms of shipments during Q2 2021, ahead of Apple.
According to Canalys, Xiaomi’s shipments “increased more than 300% in Latin America, 150% Africa and 50% in Western Europe.” Xiaomi, as per the report, “is now transforming its business model from challenger to incumbent, with initiatives such as channel partner consolidation and more careful management of older stock in the open market.”