Datastream
Top Smartphone Brands, By Global Sales
The Briefing
- In 2020, Samsung remained the top smartphone vendor based on units sold
- Of the top five brands, Apple and Xiaomi were the only ones that saw sales increase in 2020
- China is expected to see the most sales in 2021, but the highest growth areas are projected to be in Western Europe, Latin America, and in more mature markets in the Asia-Pacific
Top Smartphone Brands, By Global Sales
Many industries took a hit last year, and the smartphone market was no exception—in 2020, smartphone sales worldwide dropped by 12%.
Yet, despite an overall decrease, two of the top five global brands—Apple and Xiaomi—experienced an uptick in sales from the year prior.
Here’s a look at the top smartphone brands in 2020, by units sold:
Vendor | 2020 Sales (millions of units) | 2020 Market Share | 2020-2019 Growth |
---|---|---|---|
Samsung | 253.0 | 18.8% | -14.6% |
Apple | 199.8 | 14.8% | 3.3% |
Huawei | 182.6 | 13.5% | -24.1% |
Xiaomi | 145.8 | 10.8% | 15.7% |
OPPO | 111.8 | 8.3% | -5.8% |
Others | 454.8 | 33.7% | -19.6% |
Total | 1,347.9 | 100.0% | -12.5% |
Samsung is King, For Now At Least
Samsung remains the top smartphone manufacturer—at least for now—capturing almost 19% of the global market in 2020. That’s about the same portion of market share it held back in 2019.
Yet, while Samsung’s market share remains relatively intact, sales did drop by almost 15% in 2020. That’s a slightly bigger dip than the overall market, which experienced a 12.5% decline in sales last year.
Meanwhile, Apple crawled up the ranks in 2020, surpassing Huawei and claiming the number two spot on the list. The U.S. company launched the iPhone 12 in October 2020, which boosted Q4 2020 unit sales by almost 15% compared to Q4 2019.
Forecast for 2021
The future looks promising for global smartphone sales, and this year is no exception. In fact, Gartner expects 11.4% growth in comparison to last year.
According to Gartner, growth is on the horizon for two main reasons—delayed device replacement, which was reflected in last year’s sales slump, and increased availability of new, more affordable products.
» Like this? Then you might also like: Visualized: A Snapshot of the Global Personal Tech Market
Where does this data come from?
Source: Gartner
Notes: According to Gartner, Mature Asia Pacific refers to Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea. Sales data is from 2020.
Economy
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Public trust in the Federal Reserve chair has hit its lowest point in 20 years. Get the details in this infographic.

The Briefing
- Gallup conducts an annual poll to gauge the U.S. public’s trust in the Federal Reserve
- After rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, public trust has fallen to a 20-year low
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Each year, Gallup conducts a survey of American adults on various economic topics, including the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve.
More specifically, respondents are asked how much confidence they have in the current Fed chairman to do or recommend the right thing for the U.S. economy. We’ve visualized these results from 2001 to 2023 to see how confidence levels have changed over time.
Methodology and Results
The data used in this infographic is also listed in the table below. Percentages reflect the share of respondents that have either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence.
Year | Fed chair | % Great deal or Fair amount |
---|---|---|
2023 | Jerome Powell | 36% |
2022 | Jerome Powell | 43% |
2021 | Jerome Powell | 55% |
2020 | Jerome Powell | 58% |
2019 | Jerome Powell | 50% |
2018 | Jerome Powell | 45% |
2017 | Janet Yellen | 45% |
2016 | Janet Yellen | 38% |
2015 | Janet Yellen | 42% |
2014 | Janet Yellen | 37% |
2013 | Ben Bernanke | 42% |
2012 | Ben Bernanke | 39% |
2011 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
2010 | Ben Bernanke | 44% |
2009 | Ben Bernanke | 49% |
2008 | Ben Bernanke | 47% |
2007 | Ben Bernanke | 50% |
2006 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
2005 | Alan Greenspan | 56% |
2004 | Alan Greenspan | 61% |
2003 | Alan Greenspan | 65% |
2002 | Alan Greenspan | 69% |
2001 | Alan Greenspan | 74% |
Data for 2023 collected April 3-25, with this statement put to respondents: “Please tell me how much confidence you have [in the Fed chair] to recommend the right thing for the economy.”
We can see that trust in the Federal Reserve has fluctuated significantly in recent years.
For example, under Alan Greenspan, trust was initially high due to the relative stability of the economy. The burst of the dotcom bubble—which some attribute to Greenspan’s easy credit policies—resulted in a sharp decline.
On the flip side, public confidence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was likely due to Jerome Powell’s decisive actions to provide support to the U.S. economy throughout the crisis.
Measures implemented by the Fed include bringing interest rates to near zero, quantitative easing (buying government bonds with newly-printed money), and emergency lending programs to businesses.
Confidence Now on the Decline
After peaking at 58%, those with a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the Fed chair have tumbled to 36%, the lowest number in 20 years.
This is likely due to Powell’s hard stance on fighting post-pandemic inflation, which has involved raising interest rates at an incredible speed. While these rate hikes may be necessary, they also have many adverse effects:
- Negative impact on the stock market
- Increases the burden for those with variable-rate debts
- Makes mortgages and home buying less affordable
Higher rates have also prompted many U.S. tech companies to shrink their workforces, and have been a factor in the regional banking crisis, including the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Gallup (2023)
Data Notes: Results are based on telephone interviews conducted April 3-25, 2023, with a random sample of –1,013—adults, ages 18+, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on this sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. See source for details.
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