Samsung was the first OEM to release a 5G phone — the Galaxy S10 5G — back in 2019, and for a while, the company led the 5G smartphone market. Samsung lost that lead in 2020 when it dropped to fourth place with a global 5G smartphone market share of 12.7%. However, the company turned its 5G ship around in Q3 2021 and earned a spot back on the podium.
Apple led the global 5G smartphone shipment charts from Strategy Analytics in Q3 with a market share of roughly 25%. Xiaomi was second, and Samsung climbed up to third place after edging past Oppo.
Samsung's recipe was a mix of premium and affordable 5G phones
Samsung's 5G smartphone business re-entered positive territory after three negative quarters. The company benefitted from its rich portfolio of 5G devices across different price points, and its recipe for success was a combination of low-cost and premium phones.
The Galaxy A series was a success, as always, and assisted Samsung in winning the silver medal in the race for the highest 5G Android smartphone market share. At the pricier end of the spectrum, devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G and the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G have proved to be notably popular.
As for shipment growth quarter-on-quarter, Samsung ranked third behind Honor and Motorola but ahead of Oppo and Realme.
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