The complete set of data on global Q3 smartphone shipments from Canalys is in and it confirms Apple is back in second place behind Samsung. A total of 325.5 million units were shipped in the July-September period which represents a 6% decline compared to the same time last year. The big reason behind the fall in shipments is the ongoing global chipset shortage.
Samsung shipped a total of 69.4 million phones outpacing all other makers though the figure is 13% less than its performance from a year ago. Apple managed to ship 49.2 million units which is a 14% increase on the yearly basis fueled by strong demand for its iPhone 13 series and sustained momentum from the iPhone 12 generation. Xiaomi rounds out the top-three with 44 million units. Oppo (36.7 million) and vivo (34.2 million) round out the top-five and both companies posted gains with Oppo shipping 18% more phones this quarter.
Company | Q3 2021 Shipments (in million) |
Q3 2021 Market share |
Q3 2020 Shipments (in million) |
Q3 2020 Market share |
Yearly change |
Samsung | 69.4 | 21% | 80.2 | 23% | -13% |
Apple | 49.2 | 15% | 43.2 | 12% | +14% |
Xiaomi | 44.0 | 14% | 47.1 | 14% | -7% |
Oppo | 36.7 | 11% | 31.1 | 9% | +18% |
vivo | 34.2 | 11% | 31.8 | 9% | +8% |
Others | 91.9 | 28% | 114.6 | 33% | -20% |
Total | 325.5 | 100% | 348.0 | 100% | -6% |
Looking ahead to the final three months of the year, Canalys research analysts believe smartphone brands will focus on optimizing supply chains, reorganizing pricing strategies and offering new carrier deals.