What They Say
Counterpoint Research reported that 19% of the global smartphone market in 2021 was taken by the top 10 models. Seven of the top 10 were from Apple, two from Xiaomi and just one from Samsung.
The firm counted more than 4,200 active smartphone models in total in the market.
What We Think
There was a time when I used to talk about the smartphone business as being a ‘hits’ business, almost like music, where a great product could radically change the fortunes of a brand and catch the imagination of buyers. However, these days, with buyers having developed loyalties and ecosystems related to particular brands, that is not really the case any more.
The list highlights the challenge for Samsung in revenues. While Apple’s top of the range models are top sellers, for Samsung its the A12, regarded as an entry-level device. The list also shows the value to Apple of its strategy of keeping models going for quite a long life (in smartphone terms, anyway). (BR)
