The introduction of the iPhone 12 family from Apple Inc. helped smartphone giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. To be overtaken as the best smartphone vendor in the holiday quarter, according to Gartner, holding Apple in the top spot for the first time in four years.
Apple AAPL,
had a 20.8% share of smartphones sold during the fourth quarter of the calendar, Gartner analysts said Monday, while Samsung 005930,
had a share of 16.2%.
According to the analysts, total smartphone sales declined 5.4% in the fourth quarter. “Even as consumers remained cautious about spending and withheld some discretionary purchases, 5G smartphones and pro camera features encouraged some end users to purchase new smartphones or upgrade their current smartphones in the quarter,” said Gartner Senior Research Director Anshul Gupta in a release.
Gartner analysts expect the growing availability and demand for low-cost 5G smartphones outside of China will drive the growth of the smartphone industry in 2021, following a 12.5% drop in smartphone sales in 2020.
Apple shares are up 8.2% in the past three months as the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA,
is up 7.5%.