Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and Tecno dominate the smartphone sector in the Gulf: IDC
Kelly Choos
2 min read
Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and Tecno were the top smartphone brands in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to IDC’s report.
Mobile phone shipments to the Gulf region increased 8.3% quarter on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 6.10 million units.
Smartphone shipments to the Gulf region grew 6.3% quarter on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 5.39 million units.
Mobile phone shipments to the Gulf region grew 26.8% quarter on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021 to reach 0.7 million units.
Smartphone revenue in the Gulf region increased 12.5% quarter-on-quarter to $2.17 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Feature phone revenue in the Gulf region increased 32.1% quarter-on-quarter to $15.07 million.
5G smartphones accounted for 37.6% of the Gulf smartphone market in Q4 2021, with shipments increasing 13.6% QoQ.
5G smartphone shipments will account for 79.1% of the Gulf smartphone market in 2026, with 5G technology becoming the norm in mid-price brackets among Android smartphone vendors, said Ramazan Yavuz, senior research director at IDC.
Saudi Arabia accounted for 56% of all smartphone shipments in the Gulf region in Q4 2021, with shipments to the country increasing 7.8% QoQ. Smartphone shipments in the United Arab Emirates, the region’s second-largest market, grew 7.2% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021 to account for 22.6% of the region’s total.
Samsung leads the Gulf region’s smartphone market by shipments in Q4 2021 with a 45% share. Samsung saw 9.4% QoQ growth in shipments as supply improved, especially for key entry-level models.
Apple holds 19% market share in the Gulf region in the fourth quarter of 2021. Apple’s smartphone shipments increased 8.6% quarter-on-quarter due to strong demand for its new 13-series devices.
Xiaomi holds 13.8% market share of smartphones in the Gulf region in the fourth quarter of 2021. Xiaomi achieved a 5.9% increase in QoQ shipments thanks to its mid-range and mid-to-high smartphones of range.
The GCC smartphone market is expected to decline 3.8% QoQ in the first quarter of 2022 as consumer demand is expected to fall as inflation rises. As travel and tourism continue to normalize, the negative impact of supply shortages will prevent a significant recovery, IDC said.
