Analyst agency Counterpoint has released a detailed report on the premium smartphone market in 2021. The authors of the study have a rather mild definition of premium — any smartphone whose wholesale price exceeds $400 is included in this category. According to Counterpoint, this category accounts for 27% of the global market, and Apple is the absolute leader with a 60% share. Among Android manufacturers, Samsung is the largest (17%), followed by Huawei (6%), Xiaomi (5%), OPPO (4%) and Vivo (3%). All other premium brands, including ASUS, Google, OnePlus, Motorola, Sony, Sharp, Meizu and Nubia account for just 5% of smartphone sales over $400.

The most interesting part of the report is the table with the top five in 8 regions. In all of them, Apple became the largest seller of premium smartphones; the second place was taken by Samsung everywhere except China (where it is outside the top 5) and India, where the Koreans lost to OnePlus. Xiaomi hit the top five everywhere except North America (there its smartphones are simply not sold), where Google, OnePlus and Motorola are popular. In our region (Eastern Europe), Xiaomi managed to take third place, followed by ASUS and OPPO. And if OPPO is popular in many regions, then ASUS repeated its success in only one region – in the Middle East.

© Ilya Nerybov. mobile phone

According to Counterpoint