Apple dominates the premium smartphone market: thanks to the iPhone 12

According to new data published by the Counterpoint editorial team, Apple has gained a huge share in the premium smartphone market segment, leaving behind its biggest Android rivals like Samsung and Huawei.

Apple dominates the premium smartphone market

Based on the data available to us we can see that the premium market share held by Apple grew from 48% in the second quarter of 2020 to 57% in the second quarter of 2021. For clarity, the premium market segment groups all devices costing $ 400 or more. This growth would be, according to Counterpoint, largely due to the success of the iPhone 12 series.

To make matters worse Apple’s performance in the ultra-premium segment, where devices sell for $ 800 or more, is still commendable.

Across the entire premium device market, this particular price range accounted for 36% of premium smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2021, with a growth of 182% on an annual basis. Apple accounted for nearly three-quarters of sales in this band in the second quarter of 2021 – a decisive increase from 54% a year earlier.

Again, this is largely due to the success of iPhone 12 Pro e 12 Pro Max, as the Counterpoint report suggests.

As for the competition, Samsung managed to maintain a share of 22% in the second quarter of 2020, and then drop to 17% in the second quarter of 2021. Huawei, on the contrary, remained at the top of the ranking for the production of premium smartphones, but the Chinese giant is nonetheless dropped to just 6% in the second quarter of 2021. The reason why Huawei is still on the radar is to be found in its strength in the Chinese market, where it is still among the most popular manufacturers.