Xiaomi continues to grow in the global smartphone market. In August, the Chinese smartphone brand overtook Apple as the world’s number two smartphone vendor in terms of sales volume, according to new figures from market research firm Counterpoint. The iPhone maker came in third, while Samsung retained its top spot. Aggressive growth in recent quarters and rising demand from markets like India are said to have helped Xiaomi claim the second spot in the global smartphone market last month in terms of monthly sales volume.
Xiaomi Overtakes Apple in Global Sales
According to Counterpoint Research’s latest Smartphone 360 Monthly Tracker, Xiaomi emerged as the world’s second-largest smartphone maker in August based on global smartphone sales volumes. The Beijing-headquartered company surpassed Apple to take the second spot in terms of monthly sales volumes for the first time in three years. Meanwhile, Samsung retained the top spot.
The Counterpoint report points out that demand at lower price points has benefited Xiaomi. The launch of Redmi 13 and Redmi Note 13 series of 5G smartphones under the $200 (approximately Rs. 16,000) price category played a crucial role in helping Xiaomi gain market share across all its key markets, especially India, Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Xiaomi’s shipments in August remained flat, but a Counterpoint report attributes the success to Apple’s seasonal drop in shipments ahead of the launch of the iPhone 16 series. The arrival of the iPhone 16 series will likely see Apple reclaim either the second or first spot in the coming months as sales pick up.
Counterpoint notes that Xiaomi posted solid growth in the first half of 2024, with sales volume growing 22 percent year-on-year. Growth is likely to moderate in the second half as base effects fade, but Xiaomi is still likely to post strong double-digit growth for the full year of 2024.
