iPhone 8 overtook the Galaxy S9+ in May 2018 to become best-selling smartphone

During the month of May, Samsung’s Plus-sized flagship slipped down into second place with a global market share of 2.4%. Instead, it was the iPhone 8 which surprisingly took the crown of the best-selling smartphone during the period – the device had previously settled for 5th place during April. The reason for this success is reportedly a number of successful marketing campaigns in Europe, as well as strong demand over in the US. However, the iPhone 8 was not the only popular device from Apple during the period. In fact, Apple’s flagship iPhone X maintained its 3rd place position with a market share of 2.3% once again, while the large iPhone 8 Plus settled for 5th with 2.1% of the pie. Interestingly, this was the exact same market share obtained by Samsung’s Galaxy S9, which sat in 6th place. For comparison, the month prior the model took the 2nd place crown.

Aside from Apple and Samsung, Counterpoint Research also notes an increased presence from Xiaomi on the global scale, especially in China and India. In fact, the low-cost brand took both 4th and 9th place with the Xiaomi Redmi 5A, which grew its global share by a considerable 0.7% to 2.2%, and the Redmi 5 Plus (known as the Note 5 in certain markets). Also, going forward, the firm expects the Xiaomi Mi 8 to eventually enter the best-selling list.

On a final note, filing in the final available positions was Huawei's P20 Lite, along with the Vivo X21, and the Oppo A83, which all performed well due to their low prices and successful marketing campaigns.

source: Counterpoint Research