Samsung managed to reverse its decline and retain top position in MEA smartphone market

According to the latest report from Counterpoint’s Market Monitor Service, the smartphone shipments in the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region increased 1% YY and 7.5% QoQ in Q3 2021, respectively.

Among the major OEMs in the MEA smartphone market, all except Samsung and Xiaomi recorded year-on-year growth. As most of the product availability issues have been resolved, Samsung has bounced back from the lows in Q2. We hope that Samsung will further strengthen its grip at the top of the MEA smartphone table during the busy Q4 shopping season.

Transition brands like TECNO, itel and Infinix are the big winners from this epidemic. Overall, the company increased its market share from 19% in Q3 2020 to 30.5% in Q3 2021 due to strong sales in Africa and successful ventures in other regions.

Oppo and Vivo have also made significant gains over the past year as both brands continue to double their efforts to improve channel entrance and device availability. Xiaomi, which has seen tremendous growth over the past year, fell sharply in Q3 due to severe component shortages and inventory management issues.

It declined for three reasons – first, the performance of premium brands such as Apple and Samsung, whose iPhone 12 and 13 series and Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 series were particularly popular in developed GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries; Second, the introduction of new Chinese brands.

And third, Transsion, which dominates the low-cost segment in sub-Saharan Africa, has had initial success due to its branding and portfolio upgrades, providing more sophisticated devices to entry-level customers.