It seems that Apple had a great 2021, despite the ongoing pandemic and chip shortage that has affected the tech world. The latest report from Counterpoint Research claims that Apple outperformed every Android OEM in smartphone sales in every quarter of the year.

Counterpoint Research US market share 2021

Source: Counterpoint Research

According to data collected by Counterpoint Research, Apple’s sales numbers were the best in 2021, as it provided their analysis on the US smartphone market shares for last year. The data claims that iPhone shares took control of 55 percent of the market in the first quarter of 2021. Samsung took the second spot, as it managed to take 27 percent of the market share during the first quarter of last year. These numbers were also boosted by supply chain issues in the last quarter of 2021, as it caused 14 percent shipment growth in Q1 2021.

  • Smartphone shipments grew 10% YoY and 30% QoQ in Q4 2021 as the new Apple iPhone 13 launched, filling channels with its latest premium devices for the holiday season.

  • In the premium segment, although Apple grew 67% QoQ due to the new launch, Samsung declined -11% QoQ as it could not replenish its S21 series fast enough which also resulted in a decline in market share, down to 22%.

  • Lenovo (Motorola) once again grew to 12% market share with the help of devices such as the Moto G Pure, which is the first major MediaTek device for the OEM in the US market.

We also must remember that LG left the smartphone market in the second quarter of 2021, which helped other companies improve their sales numbers. The companies that took advantage of this situation were Motorola and OnePlus, but that didn’t help them take the sales crown. Despite shortages of the second-generation iPhone SE, Apple also took the first spot.

Apple’s success continued with the launch of the iPhone 13 lineup that received better sales numbers than its predecessor. The iPhone 12 lineup managed to take 40 percent of market shares in the third quarter of 2020, while the iPhone 13 took a 27 percent market share in Q3 2021. This success was also carried on to the fourth quarter, as Apple took 56 percent market share.

Source:Counterpoint Research