Last Updated on February 24, 2025
Apple’s iPhone 12 series achieved a jaw-dropping 1/3 global smartphone sales volumes with the iPhone 12 Pro Max leading with a share of 12% in Q1 2021.
As per Counterpoint, the global smartphone revenues surpassed a mammoth $100-billion mark in Q1 2021, a record set by the strong sales performance of flagship devices across the world.
Apple and Samsung led the charts of the top 10 highest earning devices in Q1 2021. Apple’s iPhone Pro Max amassed the highest revenue in the smartphone industry with 12% of global market sales. Its sibling iPhone 12 trailed second, followed by its iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 11. Check out iPhone 11 Price in Nepal.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s three devices made it to the list. Its flagship model Samsung S21 Ultra 5G sat at 5th 3% of sales percentage. Its other iteration S21 5G stood at 7th, followed by S21 Plus 5G.
The stats reflected flagship variants’ strong purchases in some regions. iPhone 12 Pro Max was the best-selling model in its home country USA. It topped the Q1 2021 leaderboard in terms of both volume and value. Samsung’s S21 Ultra 5G registered a commendable sales record over its cheaper variants in the US and Europe.
Check out: iPhone 12 Series Price in Nepal
5G Becoming Normal!
Except for iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2020, all the models in the list were 5G capable. It points to the fact that 5G is becoming a standard feature on the upper-tier category of smartphones.
The thirst for 5G has pushed phone makers pitching 5G as the key spec to drive their appeal lately. Most premium devices these days feature 5G capability and it is slowly arriving at the upper mid-rangers too.
The fifth-gen network has penetrated more than 60 countries and many waiting for imminent trials. South Korea, the USA, Germany, and the UK are some of the countries leading 5G networks while the Asian market such as India is gearing up for its own very soon.
Read: India’s DoT Approves 5G Applications: Trial To Begin Soon
The highest-grossing models led to almost 46% of global smartphone revenues. But, the top ten best-selling models captured only 21% of global smartphone volumes.
This highlights the advantage of offering premium devices which accounted for 65% of the global smartphone revenues in Q1 2021. It is the reason, many Chinese OEMs are stepping into the higher-end phone segments.
As for lower-end handsets, Redmi 9A put up an inspiring performance in China and India which are the key playground for mid-range devices in Asia. Likewise, Xiaomi’s Redmi 9 had a good sales record in the South East Asian market.
What do you think of flagship devices leading the revenues charts but not volumes? Do you think they are overpriced against their mid-range equivalents? You can drop your opinion in the comments section below.
