iPhone X Bestselling Smartphone of Q1, Redmi 5A Only Android Phone in Top 5: Strategy Analytics

iPhone X was the bestselling smartphone of Q1 2018, a Strategy Analytics report has claimed. Apple had a great outing in the quarter, with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus - smartphones that were launched alongside the iPhone X last September - coming in at second and third, respectively. The Cupertino company rounded off the top four with the iPhone 7, and the only Android smartphone in the top five is remarkably Xiaomi's entry-level smartphone - the Redmi 5A.

Strategy Analytics in its report says the iPhone X captured 5 percent of the global smartphone market in Q1 2018, with 16 million units shipped. Apple shipped 12.5 million iPhone 8 units, which had a 3.6 percent share of the market, followed by the iPhone 8 Plus' 8.3 million units, and 2.4 percent share. The iPhone 7 saw 5.6 million units shipped, a fall from its record 21.5 million units in Q1 2017.

"For the second quarter running, the iPhone X remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a blend of good design, sophisticated camera, extensive apps, and widespread retail presence for the device," said Juha Winter, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics. "Apple has now shifted almost 50 million iPhone X units worldwide since commercial launch in November 2017."

Q1 2018 Global Smartphone Shipments Market Share
Photo Credit: Strategy Analytics

Coming to the first Android contender in Strategy Analytics' Q1 2018 global smartphone shipments report, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A saw 5.4 million units shipped, marginally behind the iPhone 7. The entry-level smartphone was launched in China last October, and brought to India in November. As an introductory offer for the first 5 million units in India, the smartphone's base model (2GB RAM/ 16GB storage) had a Rs. 1,000 discount, bringing its price down to Rs. 4,999. It ended the introductory price offer in March.

"Xiaomi has become wildly popular across India and China," said Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics. "Xiaomi is selling a huge volume of smartphones through online channels, with key retail partners including Flipkart and JD."

The Strategy Analytics report reveals only the top six models in terms of global smartphone shipments, saying they accounted for 1 in 7 of all smartphones shipped in the quarter. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ took the last spot in its list. The Samsung Galaxy S-Series flagship shipped 5.3 million units, just behind Xiaomi's budget offering, claiming 1.5 percent of the global smartphone market. However, not all is doom and gloom for Samsung's flagships, with the market research firm predicting the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus would become the top-selling Android smartphone in Q2 2018.

Q1 2018 Global Smartphone Shipments Market Share
Photo Credit: Strategy Analytics

Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, "Samsung's new flagships, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, only started shipping toward the end of the first quarter, but shipments are already off to a very good start. The S9 Plus delivers an attractive, bezel-less, curved-screen design, a rich portfolio of software apps, and best-in-class retail distribution across dozens of countries. We expect the Galaxy S9+ to become the best-selling Android smartphone globally in the second quarter of 2018."

Other manufacturers made up 84.6 percent of the 345.4 million market, shipping 292.3 units over the quarter. Global smartphone shipments fell year-on-year, from 353.8 million units the previous year.