Xiaomi pushes Apple down to become the number two smartphone maker

The tech company now holds a 17 percent smartphone market share globally, Canalys claims.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
Xiaomi pushes Apple down to become the number two smartphone maker

Things are looking great for Xiaomi.

The Chinese smartphone maker was recently removed from the U.S. blacklist, as the Department of Defense realized Xiaomi is not, in fact, a "Communist Chinese military company."

And now, according to new data from Canalys, the company has overtaken Apple to become the number two smartphone vendor globally.

According to the report, Samsung held a 19 percent share of the global smartphone market in Q2 2021, followed by Xiaomi's 17 percent and Apple's 14 percent. China's Oppo and Vivo hold the fourth and fifth spots, both with a 10 percent market share.

While all the companies on the list achieved some degree of growth compared to the same period last year, Xiaomi grew 83 percent, while Apple only grew 1 percent year-over-year.

Xiaomi's results are due to strong growth globally, with shipments increasing more than 300 percent in Latin America, 150 percent in Africa, and 50 percent in Western Europe, Canalys' Research Manager Ben Stanton claims. However, while the company is known for its excellent budget and mid-range phones, "major priority for Xiaomi this year is to grow sales of its high-end devices, such as the Mi 11 Ultra," Stanton adds.

One name that's missing from the top five list is Huawei. The company was once the world's top smartphone vendor, but its smartphone sales were on the decline ever since it was blacklisted by the U.S. government.

Topics Xiaomi

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Apple surpasses Samsung to become the world's number one smartphone maker
Apple iPhone 16e

Xiaomi 17 launches alongside Xiaomi Tag, Watch 5, and more
Xiaomi 17

Xiaomi's new hyper car concept has the strangest cockpit we've ever seen
Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo


Xiaomi 17 Ultra hands-on: The cameraphone with a monstrous zoom
Xiaomi 17 Ultra

More in Tech
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!