Inching closer to Apple, Samsung.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BANGALORE: The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is in third place, only behind Apple and Samsung, in the race to become the largest smartphone vendor globally, according to a new industry study.
Xiaomi’s performance in the market showcases it as a company with the material of becoming the No. 1 smartphone manufacturer in the near future.
The report published by Strategy Analytics and IDC says that Xiaomi accomplished the third spot by pushing back Lenovo, one of its main competitors, from the Chinese mainland.
The study also says that 6% of the 320 million smartphones sold during July-September belonged to Xiaomi. Their South Korean counterpart, Samsung, accounted for a 25% share and Apple ended up getting 12%.
Related Story: Xiaomi Redmi 1S goes for another flash sale on Flipkart despite data security issues
Strategy Analytics Executive Director Neil Mawston said in a statement that “Xiaomi was the star performer. Samsung continues to face tough competition from Apple at the higher-end of the smartphone market, from Xiaomi and Huawei in the middle-tiers, and from Lenovo and others at the entry-level.”
Xiaomi became the top smartphone manufacturer in China during the second quarter of this year in just four years after selling their first smartphone. Early this year, Xiaomi had expanded its market to other countries, including India and Taiwan.
In India, they launched the successful Mi3 smartphone as a forerunner via Flipkart flash sales. Later they discontinued it and went ahead launching Redmi 1S.
Last month, Reuters quoted Xiaomi’s Vice President Hugo Barra saying that the company aimed to sell 100,000 phones a week in India in October when the country celebrates Diwali. The next flash sale of Xiaomi Redmi 1S is slated for November 4th via Flipkart.