SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 — Apple enjoyed record performance in the final quarter of 2020, shipping over 90 million iPhone handsets worldwide.

Over the same period, the American manufacturer shipped more smartphones than Samsung, the market leader.

The colossal and immediate success of the iPhone 12 also shows strong consumer appetite for 5G-compatible handsets.

According to the latest figures from IDC, almost 386 million smartphones were shipped worldwide in Q4 2020, up from 370 million one year ago, making a 4.3 per cent increase.

The market therefore finished the year on a high note, after a disastrous first half.

Apple stood out this quarter, leading the way over its eternal rival Samsung, while Huawei shipments collapsed, particularly outside Asia.

The world’s top smartphone seller not so long ago, the Chinese manufacturer has now been overtaken by Xiaomi and Oppo.

The world’s top 5 smartphone sellers, Q4 2020

1. Apple, 90.1 M devices shipped (+22.2 per cent year-on-year) 2. Samsung, 73.9 M (+6.2 per cent) 3. Xiaomi, 43.3 M (+32 per cent) 4. Oppo, 33.8 M (+10.7 per cent) 5. Huawei, 32.3 M (-42.4 per cent)­ — AFP-Relaxnews