Apple Smartphone Shipments Grow as Huawei Takes Top Spot in Q2 2020

Apple's iPhone shipments have grown in Q2 2020, as Huawei overtook Samsung as the world's largest smartphone vendor, according to new data shared by Canalys and IDC this week.

Screenshot 2020 07 31 at 15

Though the global smartphone market contracted by 14-16 percent in Q2 2020, Apple was the only vendor to defy expectations and grow by up to 25 percent compared to the previous year. As Apple does not publicize exact shipment numbers, the estimated data varies between the two reports. Canalys places the number at 45.1 million, while IDC places it 37.6 million.

Both IDC and Canalys accredit Apple's growth to the success of ‌iPhone‌ SE, stating that the device accounted for around 28% of its global volume, while ‌iPhone‌ 11 accounted for almost 40%.

"iPhone SE will remain crucial to prop up volume this year, amid delays to Apple's next flagship release," commented Canalys Analyst, Vincent Thielke. "In China, it had blockbuster results, growing 35% to reach 7.7 million units. It is unusual for Apple's Q2 shipments to increase sequentially. As well as the new iPhone SE, Apple is also demonstrating skills in new user acquisition. It adapted quickly to the pandemic, doubling down on the digital customer experience as stay-at-home measures drive more customers to online channels."

Huawei toppled Samsung as the world-leading smartphone vendor, with 55.8 million shipments over Samsung's 53.7 million. Xiaomi came after Apple in fourth place with 28.8 million units, followed by Oppo with 25.8 million units. Huawei was also the standout leader in the world’s largest smartphone market, China, taking 44% market share. IDC cautions that the impact of the U.S. Huawei ban will continue to create uncertainty for the company in foreign markets.

Senior Canalys Analyst Ben Stanton stated that going forwards "geopolitical uncertainty also hangs over the global smartphone market. Countries are becoming polarized between the interests of the US and China. In India, for example, Chinese companies now face a wave of negative sentiment. Smartphone vendors need to act, and many are already directing funds to brand marketing to highlight their positive impact in a local region."

IDC expects the launch of four new potential models to allow Apple to effectively challenge Android 5G devices that have been out for more than a year. Apple no longer discloses ‌device shipments, which means that analyst estimates cannot be confirmed by specific sales data.

Tags: Canalys, IDC

Popular Stories

iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...

Top Rated Comments

Steelers7510 Avatar
62 months ago
iPhone SE proving that there is a BIG market for non-flagships with solid performance. Give us more Apple.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
a m u n Avatar
62 months ago

Apple seem to not catch up or beat the chinese.
Market share doesn't mean anything. In Europe, you can buy easy these phones:

— Xiaomi Redmi 7A: 99.30€
— Samsung Galaxy J2 / A2: 97.24€
— Huawei Y5P: 82.76€
— Oppo A12: 124.14€

— :apple:
iPhone SE 2: 475.94[B]€
[B]— :apple:
[/B][/B]iPhone 11:[B][B] 796.43[B]€[/B][/B][/B]


Next phone is definitely gonna be a Huawei or a Xiaomi.
You should make more research before you buy something from these companies. Even then CEO of Xiaomi or Huawei uses an iPhone. :cool:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
62 months ago

Let's put it this way. When Apple adopted LTE, they used Qualcomm's second gen baseband for iPhone 5. Apple is adopting Qualcomm's second gen 5G baseband this year.

Over 50 million 5G smartphones have been shipped in the past 6 months alone. Consumers have been able to buy a 5G smartphone for under $300 for the past 6 months. The RF supply chain is mature. There are many companies supplying antenna packages. How and when and how certain countries and carriers choose to deploy 5G is up to them.
Heres a 5G marketing example.

5G is not only important because it has the potential to support millions of devices at ultrafast speeds, but also because it has the potential to transform the lives of people around the world. Improvements in 5G technology can help make life better
Please convince us all about the necessity of 30 Ghz mm5G communications, while the industry blindly pumps out new phones faster then landfills can recycle, what is so potentially life transforming about using a phone via 5G these days? Going to take it around to the country side, take a limit amount of 8K video and upload it to the few people that own 8K TVs? Apple computers can't even process/show 4K with HDR really yet.

Who's pushing 5G so hot and heavy? Qualcomm? At&T, Sprint, Verizon, Tmobile so they can sell more contracts. I like to see ATSC 3.0 for OTA HDR TV be pushed more then 5G phones. I respect Apple for taking its time. ?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimmy James Avatar
62 months ago

Next phone is definitely gonna be a Huawei or a Xiaomi.


Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
62 months ago

iPhone SE proving that there is a BIG market for non-flagships with solid performance. Give us more Apple.
I’m not saying SE isn’t selling well, but iPhone 11 is their top seller.


In the third quarter earnings call, Cook mentioned the iPhone 11 was the best selling phone in urban China. The best seller overall would likely be a much less expensive phone.
He said iPhone 11 is the best seller in their lineup.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macdos Avatar
62 months ago
Funny. But: NSA. Snowden. Xkeyscore. Five eyes. Echelon. Not Chinese.



Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)