iPhone sales steady while global smartphone sales tank 20% in Q2

Global smartphone sales dropped 20.4% to 295 million units in the second quarter of 2020, according to a Gartner report published Tuesday. Apple iPhone sales managed to stay relatively flat while other manufacturers, such as Samsung, saw double-digit declines year-over-year.

Samsung sales were down 27.1% year-over-year, according to Gartner. Huawei’s smartphone sales dropped 6.8%. Two other Chinese brands, Xiaomi and Oppo saw declines of 21.5% and 15.9%, respectively, according to the report.

“Travel restrictions, retail closures and more prudent spending on nonessential products during the pandemic led to the second consecutive quarterly decline in smartphone sales this year,” Gartner senior research director Anshul Gupta said.  

Apple sales were down just .4% year-over-year, according to Gartner.

“The improved business environment in China helped Apple achieve growth in the country. In addition, the introduction of the new iPhone SE encouraged users of older phones upgrade their smartphones,” said Gartner research vice president Annette Zimmermann. 

The iPhone SE has been particularly appealing in 2020 because it offers the same high-end processor of the iPhone 11 but starts at $399.

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