What you need to know
- A new report says Apple was fourth in Q2 phone shipments this year.
- Apple took a 13.7% market share, down from nearly 16% last year.
- The company is expected to debut a new phone later this month.
A new report claims Apple's smartphone shipment market share fell from nearly 16% to just 13.7% in Q2 of this year.
With iPhone 13 just around the corner, Trendforce says devices like iPhone 12, currently Apple's best iPhone, have not been enough to stop it sliding down the smartphone shipment league tables. From TF:
Apple's iPhone production reached its lowest point for the year, and its rank fell to fourth place in 2Q21 because the second quarter is the transition period between last year's and this year's iPhone series. The quarterly total iPhone production fell by 22.2% QoQ to around 42 million units. In the aspect of product development, Apple will be releasing four flagship iPhone models this September. The major upgrades that come with the new series are the improved camera and the next-generation A15 processor that is manufactured with TSMC's 5nm+ process. Other upgrades relate to the optimization of the existing functions. This year's iPhone line-up can be regarded as an extension of the iPhone 12 series that was released in 2020. With regards to pricing, Apple will be maintaining its proactive approach so as to gain more market share. On the other hand, there is the possibility that Apple's device production during 2H21 will be affected by the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia. Due to the severity of the outbreak situation, shipments of ICs from that country have experienced delays.
Trendforce states Apple fell in behind both Xiaomi and OPPO, as well as Samsung which led the market with a 19% share. These figures are all based on analyst estimates, as Apple does not reveal sales figures for its iPhone.
The report echoes all of the recent rumors we've been hearing about the new iPhone 13, including its lineup, new processor, camera upgrades, and more. Trendforce claims Apple will be "aggressive" with pricing so as to try and garner more market share, possibly indicating that Apple might not increase its prices. That news comes following a report that Apple might have to factor in increased manufacturing costs to its iPhone 13, possibly raising the price.
Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone at an event later this month, possibly alongside Apple Watch Series 7. The company also reportedly has a new iPad mini 6 on the way, a new iPad and new mini-LED MacBook Pro models.
