Apple grew in its key markets such as the US, China, Europe, and India in 2021. It ended the year on a strong note with an increase in a year-on-year surge in shipments, smartphone market trackers said on Friday.
Apple, which released its fourth-quarter result late on Thursday, did not specifically comment on the numbers of its Indian market but mentioned that both developed and emerging markets had a record quarter and “India is one of the most important emerging markets for Apple.”
As per Counterpoint Research, Apple had a record run in India in 2021 that was driven largely by the success of the iPhone which surpassed over 6 million units in shipments.
The firms said that Apple’s global smartphone shipments grew 18% year-on-year to reach a record 237.9 million units in 2021 due to strong performance by the iPhone 12 Series.
In Q4, Apple became the top smartphone brand in the China market after six years, overtaking Samsung, the research firm said.
Canalys on the other hand attributed Apple’s success in the Chinese market to the iPhone 13 Series, which helped the company clock shipments of 21.5 million units in Q4, and it regained the top position for the first time since Q1 of 2015.
As per Canalys Analyst Toby Zhu, “Apple delivered an outstanding quarter, providing an adequate supply to the Chinese market amid its tight global supply. Apple’s China market share in Q4 2021 was its highest and accounted for a quarter of total market shipments, a record for Apple since it entered in 2009.”
Zhu also noted that the iPhone 13 Series was priced lower at the time of its launch, which helped stimulate consumer interest even though the overall retail consumption was subdued in Q4 in China.
“Meanwhile the absence of strong Android competitors in the high-end segment also contributed to Apple’s stellar performance this quarter,” Zhu concluded.
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