According to research firm Counterpoint, Xiaomi has for the first time secured the leading position in the global smartphone market. The company would have delivered more phones worldwide in June than market leader Samsung.

According to Counterpoint, Xiaomi currently has a global market share of 17.1 percent. Samsung’s market share in June was 15.7 percent, according to that research firm, and Apple is in third place with 14.3 percent. Xiaomi’s market share has thus increased significantly.

Xiaomi delivered 22 percent more smartphones in June than in May. At the same time, Samsung would have suffered from an increasing number of coronavirus infections in Vietnam, hindering the production of certain Samsung devices.

“If the situation in Vietnam does not improve, Samsung’s production is likely to continue to suffer a blow in the future, while Xiaomi continues to gain market share from the Korean brand. However, as soon as Samsung recovers, the ranks are likely to be rearranged again,” writes the Counterpoint Research Agency.

Counterpoint also explains that Xiaomi’s market position has been significantly strengthened by the decline in Huawei smartphone division’s market share. This downturn was caused by trade bans by the US government, which prevented Huawei smartphones from being supplied with Google Play Services, for example. Xiaomi is said to have filled the gap in the old markets of Huawei and its subsidiary Honor, for example in China, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Thus, Xiaomi’s smartphone division has been experiencing strong growth for some time. Analyst firm Canalys reported last month that Xiaomi first overtook Apple as number two in the global smartphone market in the second quarter of 2021. Earlier this week, Strategy Analytics reported that Xiaomi was for the first time the largest smartphone manufacturer in Europe.