Opinion
Xiaomi emerged as Samsung’s biggest rival, recorded highest YoY growth in Q2 2021
Samsung has been leading the world for years when it comes to the highest smartphone units shipments. Every year, the company faces tough competition from its rivals such as Apple and Chinese phone makers. For several years, Apple is the biggest rival of Samsung, but it looks like things are now changed.
Recently, popular market research firm Canalys published its new report in which the researchers shared the data of the global smartphone market of the second quarter of 2021. Although Samsung still remained on the top, Xiaomi kicked out Apple from the place of the world’s second-largest smartphone maker, says Canalys.
Global smartphone market Q2 2021 – Highlights
In the second quarter of this year, the world’s smartphone shipments increased 12% as the new normal for economies and citizens started to take shape just because of the speedy rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines. Glimpse at the global market report:
- Samsung was the largest vendor with a 19% share of smartphones shipped
- Surpassing Apple, Xiaomi took second place for the first time ever, with a 17% share
- Apple slipped to third with a 14% share
- Chinese vendors such as Oppo and Vivo recorded strong growth
Image Source: Xiaomi Blog
Not Apple, Xiaomi is the biggest Samsung rival
Ben Stanton, Research Manager at Canalys said that “Xiaomi is growing its overseas business rapidly”. The company has impressively increased its shipments in various regions worldwide, which is not good news for Samsung and Apple.
In Latin America, Xiaomi’s shipments increased more than 300%, while 150% in Africa and 50% in Western Europe. After fighting as a challenger, the company is now transforming its business model to an incumbent with various initiatives such as good management of older stock in the market.
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Compared to market leaders Samsung and Apple, Xiaomi’s average selling price are around 40% and 75% cheaper respectively. Therefore, the reason behind this impressive growth this year is its high-end devices such as the Mi 11 Ultra 5G.
Last but not least, Canalys researchers pointed out that Xiaomi already has its sights set on the next prize that is displacing Samsung to become the world’s largest vendor. However, it’s not an easy task to defeat the Korean tech giant as it’s managing an impressive reputation in the hearts of consumers across the globe!
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun’s letter to all employees
“Dear colleagues, the world’s No. 2 means greater challenges and responsibilities for Xiaomi. This is the first time we reached this unprecedented level, and we will inevitably face many vicious and fierce battles ahead of us.”
“Notwithstanding the celebrations now, I want to make sure we can maintain our second place steadily and firmly in the future. It is an honor for us to compete with the most powerful and innovative companies in the world at the peak on the global stage.”
“We are still very young and thus have not accumulated sufficient experiences yet; we must keep calm and stay humble. Our peers are our role models and our whetstones. It is this fierce competition that has driven all of us to make progress mutually. And through this, we can continue to sharpen ourselves and get stronger.”
Samsung’s relationship with Google is rock solid. Both companies collaborate on different products to benefit their consumer base. Is it the right time for Samsung to develop a Galaxy-dedicated OS or at least Android for Galaxy?
Google worked with Samsung to optimize Android for foldables and tablets. The company had even launched Android 12L, a version dedicated to large-screen devices. Now, Samsung should work with Google to optimize Android for Galaxy devices.
Samsung flagships are equipped with pro-grade hardware specifications. The company manages to optimize the One UI software accordingly. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of areas, that require significant improvements.
Benefits of Android for Galaxy
Samsung fine-tunes Android for Galaxy products. Meanwhile, Android for Galaxy will make things a lot better, eventually benefitting end users. It shouldn’t be the Tizen approach, but a collaborative progress.
Android optimized for Galaxy devices should allow users to enjoy the power and personalization of the OS. Its optimization level for Galaxy devices will offer faster app launches, performance improvements, and longer battery life.
Samsung owns Exynos, Galaxy AI, Good Lock, and a lot of stunning services. A combined approach can significantly uplevel the user experience. Functional capabilities would also be boosted, taking Galaxy’s experience to a whole new level.
Difficulties
Android’s presence is vast. It’s available across different brands including Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, and so on. Samsung is unquestionably the biggest Android vendor but Google could find it difficult to optimize Android for all Galaxies.
The Korean tech giant itself tests and deploys security updates on Galaxy devices. Various applications are already available with better features than Google services such as the Internet. Even Google takes inspiration from Galaxies to develop features for Pixel phones.
Samsung not only has flagship phones, but also brings budget, mid-range, and premium mid-range phones. These products use different hardware such as camera and processor, requiring a need for unified software. Just a collective approach is required to end all kinds of difficulties.
"Android for Galaxy" ❤️
Should Samsung & Google embark on this stunning journey?#Samsung #Android #OneUI pic.twitter.com/HT2S5xfzfV
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Google’s Pixel 9 series is official with pretty new AI stuff. The most notable thing that changed with this year’s Pixel phones is the Android installation. I guess, Google took a sip of poison to push Samsung Galaxy’s Android OS superiority further.
Pixel 9 series comes with Android 14, rather than the latest OS. Pixel 8 series and later devices are supported by seven years of OS updates. However, the Pixel 9 will get one less Android upgrade than that it deserves to have.
Google’s decision puts the Pixel 9 together with last year’s Pixel 8 series. Both lineups will end their major upgrade life at Android 21. Well, Pixel phones are neither durable nor Google provides satisfactory support, so don’t expect more than 1 year of service.
The decision, however, aligns with Samsung’s superiority, let’s decode.
The Galaxy S25 series will be the first (imp) to come with Android 15 pre-installed. You can guess how things have been decided by downgrading the Pixel 9 lineup. As a Samsung fan, I always wanted H2 Galaxy products to come with the latest OS.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 also come with Android 14. The OS was released in October last year and is still arriving pre-installed. Google ultimately filled the OS gap between Galaxy foldables and Pixel phones at a cost of Pixel downgrade.
Android 15 might be released on the official channel in October as last year. Eligible Pixel phones will start getting the major firmware update. Samsung is also expected to begin the One UI 7 update rollout for Galaxy models by the end of October.
In the first phase, Samsung’s Android 15 will arrive on flagship phones. However, the Korean tech giant won’t make other users wait much. The One UI 7 update rollout may begin for all eligible Galaxy models before 2024 ends.
Samsung replicated Google’s promise of Android updates, but the plus point is that mid-range and budget Galaxy phones are eligible for at least four major OS upgrades. The upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 will also be honored with 7 major Android updates.
The Korean tech giant offers the longest software update support in the Android industry. Google’s OS update promise starts from the Pixel 8 series. While mid-range and budget Samsung phones get four Android updates, the premium Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 will get 7.
Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series smartphones. The lineup is guaranteed for at least seven OS upgrades. The strategy was earlier expected to be applied to Galaxy A55, but the company kept it limited to the flagship phones.
Samsung doesn’t officially consider Galaxy Z as flagship lineup, but it’s the most premium segment. All the novelties that Galaxy S receives also come to foldable phones. Therefore, it’s certain that the company will support its upcoming Galaxy Z phones for 7 years.
Will they survive 7 years?
Sporting a foldable display entirely ends the discussion of longevity. Besides, the pre-applied screen protection film starts to damage within a year of normal usage. Samsung’s innovative foldables are available internationally but support isn’t.
Samsung Care+ plan is also offered by the phone maker for additional protection. However, it still requires the owner to pay the processing fee, which isn’t considerable. Also, the Care+ plan doesn’t cover the Samsung-slapped screen protector film.
So if the Korean phone maker is willing for longer software support, it should rather offer a two-year replacement guarantee on manufacture defects. It would push consumers to prefer foldable phones as they won’t have to worry about display concerns.
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