Apple Led the U.S. Smartphone Market With a 42 Percent Share in Q3, 2021; Samsung in Close Pursuit
Apple has once again taken control of the U.S. smartphone market with a 42 percent share for the third quarter, according to the latest report, though Samsung is not too far behind.
Both Samsung and Apple Saw Growth in the U.S. Smartphone Market Compared to the Same Quarter Last Year
The top-two smartphone vendors in the world, Apple and Samsung, saw decent growth levels in the U.S. market, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple’s market share rose to 42 percent, up from 39 percent from the same quarter a year ago, while Samsung saw its market share increase from 30 percent to 35 percent during the same period. Interestingly, Samsung saw a bigger 5 percent growth in Q3, 2021 compared to Apple’s 3 percent, but that could be due to Apple already commanding a more significant share than Samsung in the previous quarter too.
Research Director Jeff Fieldhack gives his thoughts on the U.S. smartphone market and what led to Apple and Samsung attaining new heights.
“The US market is continuing on an upward trend in 2021. Apple and Samsung continued to lead in Q3 2021, accounting for 77% of total shipments. Both saw strong YoY growth at 9% and 18% respectively. Despite shortages, Apple’s iPhone 13, which was launched late in the quarter, contributed to 17% of the OEM’s total sales in Q3. We expect to see continued strength in iPhone 13 sales as we enter the holiday quarter. Samsung was also able to have a successful launch of its latest foldable devices and has had success in pushing its most affordable 5G smartphone, the Samsung A32 5G, through carriers such as T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile.”
The U.S. smartphone market share may have been higher for both companies if not for the ongoing chip shortage. Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier stated during the company’s latest earnings call that they are working to improve iPhone 13 supply issues. However, these constraints led to Apple losing out on $6 billion in revenue, and it may not look like wait times for the iPhone 13 improve any time soon. That is where Samsung can capitalize, as the Korean giant is said to start mass production of the Galaxy S22 series during the first week of September.
Motorola also gained some ground in the U.S., but reports claim that it was due to LG’s exit from the smartphone business. OnePlus gained some popularity in the region, but the road will definitely be hard for anyone in this market whose name is not Apple or Samsung.
News Source: Counterpoint Research
