Apple recently lost its position as the world’s second-largest smartphone vendor to a company many Americans may not be familiar with, underscoring the growing popularity of affordable phones from emerging brands around the world.
Xiaomi overtakes Apple as number 2 smartphone maker
Xiaomi, based in Beijing, China, has for the first time ever taken the second spot for smartphones behind South Korea's Samsung, according to a study of second-quarter data by independent analyst firm Canalys. The rankings are based on each company's market share for shipments.
Xiaomi has proven popular for its affordable devices, but is now branching out and looking to grow its higher-end devices as well, Ben Stanton, research manager at Canalys, told Lifewire in an email. The research firm calculates that the average selling price of Xiaomi phones is about 40% cheaper than Samsung phones and 75% cheaper than Apple.
“Xiaomi devices are rooted in value for money,” Stanton said. “The brand’s early progress was rooted in an incredibly lean operating structure, with highly targeted marketing spend that allowed its devices to undercut competitors. However, it has since grown well beyond this initial focus.”
