5G Android Smartphone Sales: Samsung Is The Undisputed Leader

5G devices make up the bulk of iPhone sales thanks to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 device families. But on the Android side, there’s plenty of room for 5G sales growth, and a new report details the current state of the market.

Samsung is the 5G leader in the Android world

Search for counterpoint reports that Samsung led the 5G Android smartphone market in February 2022, accounting for nearly a quarter of 5G Android smartphone sales globally. While Samsung’s cheaper smartphones are usually its bestsellers, when it comes to 5G, the South Korean brand’s success can be attributed to both its affordable and flagship devices.

The most popular 5G smartphone in Samsung was the Galaxy A52s 5G, which in terms of price falls below the Galaxy S series. This model also happens to be the most popular 5G Android on the planet. Counterpoint notes that it has done particularly well in Western Europe. Moreover, it had been one of the top 10 best-selling 5G Android smartphones for the previous six consecutive months, meaning it was an instant hit following its launch in September.

The second most popular 5G Android smartphone in February 2022 was the Galaxy S22 Ultra, representing just under 3% of global shipments. This is all the more impressive considering that the device only started shipping in the last week of February. Demand trends show that Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra got off to a good start over the Galaxy S21 series, thanks to positive reception in the US and Samsung’s home market in South Korea.

However, it wasn’t just regarding the flagship Galaxy S22 lineup. Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE, launched in January, followed in third place with similar market share thanks to demand in Germany and the United States, where sales were driven by incentives from carriers like Verizon and AT&T.

Two other devices worth mentioning are the Galaxy A32 5G and Galaxy A22 5G, which were the fourth and tenth most popular 5G Android phones overall and hold key positions in Samsung’s budget lineup. Unsurprisingly, it is understood that their low prices were the main selling points. Both devices performed exceptionally well in the UK, with the Galaxy A32 5G also proving popular in the US while the Galaxy A22 5G attracted a fine following in India.

Going forward, the Galaxy A32 5G is expected to drop off the bestseller list as the new Galaxy A33 5G takes over demand. However, the Galaxy A22 variant is expected to continue selling well as Samsung has yet to launch a 5G version of the Galaxy A23.

Oppo, Honor, Xiaomi and Vivo are the other leading brands in the 5G race

Besides Samsung, Oppo found success with the Reno 7 5G, a mid-range smartphone that also became the best-selling Android smartphone in China, regardless of connectivity. Former Huawei subsidiary Honor is another company riding the 5G wave, also thanks to the Chinese market. The Honor 60 was the sixth best-selling 5G Android and the Honor X30 was in ninth place.

The top 10 was completed by the Vivo S12 and Xiaomi Redmi K40, both positioned as low-end devices. While Samsung appears to be focusing its 5G efforts on the European and North American smartphone markets, Oppo and others appear to be following a launch strategy in China, with other markets like the Middle East and Europe following suit.

Overall, Android smartphones accounted for 67% of global 5G sales in February 2022, with the remaining 33% belonging to Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models.