Counterpoint Research released its fourth-quarter U.S. market analysis last year, and for the most part, it held steady at 2% growth. Analysts pointed to supply constraints, delayed launches and in-store restrictions as the main reasons. On the other hand, strong carrier promotions can offset the negative impact of the above problems.
Of course, Apple still leads the market with a 57% market share, up 17% compared to the third quarter, thanks largely to strong sales of the iPhone 13. The professional version performed particularly well. Samsung was firmly in second place with 11% year-over-year growth, but it could have been much better had it not been for the Galaxy S21 FE delay. The well-performing Galaxy A-series could save the day.
Motorola smashed some personal bests when it came to delivering a slew of smartphones, surpassing its own records in the fourth quarter of 2019. In fact, the Moto G Pure is in the top three best-selling phones on the market.
OnePlus’ performance stood out from the crowd, and while it trailed Alcatel a bit, it outpaced Google with a staggering 524% year-over-year growth, thanks largely to the Nord lineup offered by carriers and Walmart.
Google’s sales of its acclaimed Pixel 6 and 6 Pro devices rose 56% year over year.
Looking ahead, analysts believe the tough times are not over yet. Looming inflation, the COVID-19 crisis and supply chain constraints will impact the industry throughout 2022.
