Although Samsung’s financial results have not yet been officially announced, and market studies of independent companies are not based on inside company information, but early information from South Korea suggests that Samsung was clearly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. . For the first time in 9 years, Samsung could have delivered less than 300 million smartphones worldwide, but even so, it could remain in first place in the world ranking.
The pandemic affected Samsung’s smartphone business in 2020
Three months ago, at the end of the third quarter, Samsung reported sales of 189 million units of smartphones delivered to stores in 2020. This put the company back in first place, after Huawei managed to overtake Samsung in the second quarter. in sales. Smartphone companies were particularly affected at the beginning of the year and in the second quarter, when pandemic restrictions came into effect in several countries around the world.
Meanwhile, in China, restrictions were already high, and the smartphone market has begun to recover. Huawei, being the market leader in China, managed to recover the fastest.
Thus, the estimates of business analysts in South Korea estimate that Samsung will reach in 2020 only 287 million units of smartphones. Of these, only 50 million units are expected to be high-end “premium” models, the rest being mid-range and entry-level devices.
In 2021, Samsung expects to sell around 307 million smartphones, the increase being due to the category of mid-range devices and 5G entry. This year, Samsung did not have basic 5G models on the market.
Next year, Xiaomi aims for first place in the ranking of smartphone manufacturers, but its ambitions could be stopped by the limited availability of components.
Robert J. Smith is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including JoyStiq and Android Authority. In regards to academics, Robert earned a degree in business from Fordham University. Robert has passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.