Apple and Samsung account for 70% of the US smartphone market in Q2 2020

According to the latest report from market research firm Canalys, the total shipments of smartphones in the US market in the second quarter of 2020 were approximately 31.9 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 5%, but a month-on-month increase of 11%. The report pointed out that the resumption of operations of Chinese factories at the end of March and the reopening of stores in May and June were key factors in the month-on-month growth of the market.

Image source: Canalys

From the perspective of manufacturers, Apple and Samsung together account for 70% of total shipments. Among them, Apple shipped 15 million units, setting a new record in the US market. Canalys analysis pointed out that the shipments of Apple's flagship iPhone 11 were 15% higher than last year's best-selling iPhone XR. In addition, with the launch of iPhone SE, Apple's market share in the second quarter surged to 47%; Samsung's shipments were the same as in 2019, but the difference was that compared with the S10 series models in the second quarter of 2019, the shipments of its Galaxy S20 5G series phones decreased by 59%. Samsung relied heavily on its low-end Galaxy A10e and A20 models to support shipments; in addition to Apple and Samsung, LG, Lenovo and TCL also gained a small share of the US smartphone market.

Canalys analyst Vincent Thielke said: "The spread of the new crown epidemic has forced consumers to stay at home, so 5G penetration in the United States has not increased. Store closures and concerns about the virus have limited interaction with demonstration models. Tight consumer budgets have further limited spending power. Coupled with the lack of 5G network coverage in suburban areas of the United States, consumers see many reasons to buy 4G devices. Although the launch of 5G has been bumpy so far, strong marketing by operators in the coming quarters will help promote the transition from LTE to 5G."

It is worth mentioning that the report pointed out that about 70% of smartphones shipped in the United States in the second quarter of 2020 were made in China, up from 60% in the previous quarter.