According to International Data Corp.Apple smartphone sales have reached the highest quarterly level of any registered seller.
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Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Apple Inc.
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Huawei Technologies Co. maintained its position as the world leader in smartphone sales in the fourth quarter thanks to record sales of its latest iPhone, while Huawei Technologies Co. shipments of devices collapsed under the weight of U.S. restrictions.
Data from International Data Corp, a tracker of the mobile industry, and others shows that the smartphone market will vary widely in the final months of 2020.
Apple’s smartphone sales rose 22 percent in the fourth quarter to 90.1 million units, the highest quarterly total of any manufacturer, IDC said. Apple’s most profitable quarter was fueled by the success of the iPhone 12 series, which propelled Apple to first place in the quarter with 23% market share, according to IDC.
The company often sees an increase in smartphone sales in the last quarter, when the latest iPhone is launched.
Traditionally a very strong quarter for Apple, Apple is starting to consolidate its lead, he said.
Nicole Peng,
an analyst at market research firm Canalys, which also ranked Apple first this quarter. It feels like we’re back where we were a few years ago.
Chinese manufacturer Huawei’s smartphone sales also fell 42%, according to IDC, accelerating a 22% drop in the third quarter. Only in the second quarter of last year did the Chinese technology giant become the main supplier. But under pressure from US supply constraints, it now ranks 5th.
Restrictions on Huawei’s purchase of chips and the use of U.S. software on its devices have limited the reach of its phones and prompted consumers to disregard the brand, undoing years of steady growth, analysts said. In November, the company unveiled its low-cost phone brand Honor and announced that it has no plans to launch flagship phones this year.
Despite the decline in Huawei’s smartphone market, overall smartphone market growth was 4.3% in the fourth quarter, indicating the resilience of the mobile market after a prolonged slowdown. Mobile operators hope that the rollout of next-generation 5G networks in 2021 will drive demand.
While all Apple iPhone 12 models have received a camera update, the 12 Pro Max has received the biggest zoom and light bump. But do the photos really show these improvements? To test it, WSJ contributor Joanna Stern hired a body paint to create the best live portrait of 2020. Photographic illustration: Preston Jesse for the Wall Street Journal.
Email Dan Strampf at daniel.strumpf@wsj.com.
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Published on January 29, 2021 in a print publication titled Apple Regains Phone Top Spot as Huawei’s Sales Collapse.
