In the last quarter of 2020, Apple witnessed an increase in iPhone shipments in the Gulf countries by 55 percent compared to the previous quarter, thanks to the launch of the iPhone 12 lineup that supports the fifth generation networks and last year's iPhone 11 lineup. The overall mobile market in the GCC region witnessed a quarterly growth of 8.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 to reach 5.38 million units, according to recent research from IDC. While shipments of feature phones increased by 38.3 percent to reach 1.12 million units, and in terms of value, the total smartphone market reached $ 1.62 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 39.5 percent on a quarterly basis.
Meanwhile, the value of the feature phone market grew by 22.2 percent during the same period to reach $ 19.2 million. The fourth quarter of 2020 saw most of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries attempt to return to some normalcy, with the reopening of borders for regular travel especially in the United Arab Emirates, where the launch of the vaccine began in earnest.
Although consumer spending remained focused on the basics, there was a release of pent-up demand, especially for iOS devices. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accounted for 49.4 percent of all smartphones shipped within the Gulf states in the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the Kingdom saw a general drop in shipments on a quarterly basis, with shortages of components and supplies affecting the low devices of Android sellers.
The UAE accounted for 26.1 percent of smartphone shipments in the region, and recorded growth on a quarterly basis thanks to the strong performance of new Apple releases and mid-range models from brands such as: Samsung, Oppo and Vivo, which were not affected to the same extent by the lack of components.
IDC said, Apple enjoyed strong demand for its iPhone 12 lineup in the fourth quarter of 2020, while the iPhone 11 lineup continued to perform well in the region. The shortage of supply of both the iPhone 12 and some other models limited the maximum growth that we could see from Apple in the fourth quarter of 2020.
However, Apple still stands behind Samsung as the leading smartphone manufacturer in the region. Samsung holds 42 percent of the market share of the Gulf countries, 3 percent less than the previous quarter. Apple saw its market share increase by 7 percent to 23 percent in the fourth quarter of the year.
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