Eric Zeman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple would have been number one in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2021, with Samsung a distant second.
- Motorola held third place, while Alcatel and OnePlus rounded out the top five.
- OnePlus achieved annual growth of over 520% in the region.
Apple and Samsung are the top performers in the U.S. smartphone market, and a Q4 2021 report reaffirmed that while showing other players making major strides.
Counterpoint Research today released its US report for the fourth quarter of 2021, finding that Apple accounted for 57% of the market while Samsung’s market share during the quarter reached 24%. The tracking company noted that Apple posted 17% quarterly growth (we also asked about year-over-year growth), while Samsung achieved 11% year-over-year growth.
The company noted that iPhone demand is outstripping supply, adding that Samsung is also facing shortages (especially when it comes to the Galaxy S21 series). Counterpoint said the Galaxy A12 was the best-selling Android phone of 2021 – it didn’t say whether it was US-only or globally, though we’d assume it’s the former.
The rest of the US market
There is also good news for Motorola, which comes in third place with 9% market share. Counterpoint said the brand has sold the most phones in the US in its history (beating its previous record in Q4 2019). LG’s exit and a strong portfolio of affordable phones are believed to have contributed to Motorola’s success. The tracking company also said the Moto G Pure (its first Mediatek phone in the country) was in the top three for sales during the quarter.
Alcatel (2%) and OnePlus (2%) occupy the fourth and fifth places respectively. In fact, Counterpoint said OnePlus achieved 524% annual growth in the quarter, highlighting the success of the Nord lineup at T-Mobile and T-Mobile’s partnership with Walmart.
We have already noted that many new brands in a market often grow exponentially as they start from a low base (eg Xiaomi after its first two years in Europe). But it’s good news for OnePlus nonetheless, especially since the brand debuted in the US in 2018. This growth also comes after the company changed course and focused on phones. mid-range and low-budget, suggesting the new strategy is working in the region. .
Google was the last brand named on the list, coming in at sixth place and accounting for 1% of the US market in the quarter. The tracking company said Google actually achieved 56% year-on-year growth from the Pixel 6 series. It should be said that Google also saw shortages of the Pixel 6 series soon after launch, suggesting maybe he could have performed even better.
