Gartner added that the overall smartphone space was in better shape than it was earlier in 2020. Sales were still down 5.7 percent, but that was much better than the 20 percent drops from the first and second quarters of the year. “Near normal” conditions in China helped restore production, and there were also hints of markets reviving in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
As for why Xiaomi surged ahead? It comes down to a perfect storm of factors. On top of China’s improved conditions, Xiaomi took advantage of Huawei’s decline. Apple, meanwhile, delayed the iPhone 12 launch until October and missed out on its usual September surge. The fourth quarter results could be another story — and you might not see this happen again, especially with Huawei fading away.
Gartner
