Report: Samsung and Oppo dominate the Android smartphone top sellers for Q3 2019

Damien Wilde | Dec 27 2019 - 5:11 am PT

According to the latest report from Counterpoint Research, while iPhone XR still remains the top-selling smartphone for Q3 2019, Samsung and Oppo dominate the top 10 globally selling Android smartphones.

The firm recently published data that shows the percentage share of sales of the 10 most popular devices from around the globe. It comes as no surprise that the Apple iPhone XR tops the list with 3 percent of global sales. However, it’s the abundance of more affordable models from Samsung and Oppo that catches the attention.

At the top of the list for Android sales in Q3 2019 was the Samsung Galaxy A10 — which retails for under $160. The slightly bumped Galaxy A50 comes in second, with the Oppo A9, Oppo A5s, and Galaxy A20 making up the top 5. The Oppo A5, Xiaomi Redmi 7A, and Huawei P30 round off the top 10 — with the recently released iPhone 11 in the middle of the sales rankings.

Counterpoint also notes that the wholesale revenue for sales dropped over the previous 12 months by a whopping 30 percent. The presence of only three ‘flagships’ within the top 10 Q3 sales rankings could explain this drop in overall revenue though. The inclusion of the Huawei P30 is of particular interest, as it is the last Android flagship from the firm to release with Google Mobile Services installed as standard — due to US-China trade sanctions.

It’s interesting to see mid-range and affordable Android smartphones dominating the Q3 2019 sales figures. When brands focus far more heavily on high-margin, high-cost flagship devices, it’s easy to dismiss many of the more affordable devices that are selling far better.

Another reason we may see more affordable Android smartphones from Samsung and Oppo dominating Q3 2019 sales charts is this ‘lull’ prior to a wider 5G rollout. Buyers may be wary of the imminent rollout and be more willing to sacrifice features and functions in favor of a more affordable experience — at least until cheaper 5G devices are available.