Apple iPhone 11 was the most shipped smartphone in first half of 2020

iPhone SE 2020, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone Pro Max also made it to the list of top smartphone shipped this year. Together, Apple shipped a total of 68.8 million iPhone models in the first half of 2020.

iPhone 11 Pro Max and Pro, the premium models of the iPhone 11 series, ranked 7th and 10th. (REUTERS)

Apple's iPhone 11, that was launched alongside the premium budget iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone Pro Max, was the most shipped smartphone model in the first half of 2020. It is also the single most popular smartphone model this year.

According to a report by Omdia, Apple shipped a total of 37.7 million units of the iPhone 11 in the first of 2020. This figure is roughly 11 million more than the number of iPhone XR models the company shipped in the first half of 2019. For your reference, Apple shipped 26.9 million units of iPhone XR in the same time last year.

“A key driver for the success of iPhone 11 is the lower starting price. iPhone 11 launched $50 cheaper than the previous iPhone XR while adding significant hardware improvements, like a dual-lens camera. iPhone XR did not feature such upgrades,” the consultancy wrote in its report.

While iPhone 11 was Apple's top-performing model in the first of 2020, it was not the only model that got traction this year. iPhone SE 2020, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone Pro Max also made it to the list of top smartphone shipped this year. Together, Apple shipped a total of 68.8 million iPhone models in the first half of 2020.

Smartphone sale in first half of 2020. (Omdia)

Smartphone sale in first half of 2020. (Omdia)

iPhone 11 Pro Max and Pro, the premium models of the iPhone 11 series, ranked 7th and 10th, respectively. Shipments of these two models decreased compared to the previous iPhone Xs Max and Xs, but their rankings improved, the firm reported.

According to Omdia's smartphone market tracker report, Apple shipped 13% more iPhones in the second quarter this year compared to the previous year thanks to the success of the iPhone 11 and the newly released iPhone SE.

On the other hand, only one Samsung model made the top 10 this year. Samsung shipped a total of 11.4 million units of Galaxy A51 in the first half of 2020. This, the firm reports, is a significant shift for Samsung, as this list featured four of Samsung's models last year.

Xiaomi, on the other hand, had four smartphone models in the top 10 this year. Xiaomi replaced Samsung's entry-level and mid-range devices with its own models in this year's top 10. Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro models took 3rd and 4th place, respectively. The performance of lower-priced smartphone models is levelling upwards and consumers' preference for low-end models is growing due to the economic recession, this makes Xiaomi smartphones popular in emerging markets.

Lastly, the report noted that the total shipment leader in Q2 2020 Huawei, failed to make the top 10 list with any of its devices for the first half of this year. “Huawei's smartphone business is under increasing pressure from US sanctions, impacting the company's overseas business. Other OEMs not making this top ten list include OPPO and Vivo,” the company noted.