Huawei could drop to 7th place in 5G smartphone market set to rebound in 2021

For the Chinese manufacturer, the year 2021 promises to be full of pitfalls. According to the TrendForce report, Huawei could drop to 7th place in the market after having touched the peaks.

In its report, the analysis firm TrendForce takes stock of a year 2020 quite marked by the global pandemic. On a global scale, the entire market recorded a drop in production of 11%. The main brand affected by this situation is of course Huawei. The manufacturer, already hit by the seal of US sanctions since 2019, has only sold 170 million 5G smartphones worldwide, falling to third place in the market. According to the firm’s projections, the brand is even destined to fall in 7th position on the market this year in the category of 5G smartphones.

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Huawei finds itself facing sanctions on its own after the sale of Honor

At the end of 2020, the noose around the Chinese manufacturer has tightened even more. First with a new turn of the screw of American sanctions since foreign companies exploiting a technology of the United States were prohibited from supplying elements to Huawei. The consequence was the end of the partnership between Huawei and TSMC, supplier of Kirin processors. A few weeks ago, the brand sold its subsidiary Honor which despite everything still assured it of the figure. Currently, vendors can offer equipment as long as it is not used to build 5G devices.

While the brand has been a pioneer in the 5G market, it could quickly find its way into the pawn. According to TrendForce projections, Huawei will only sell 45 million 5G-enabled phones in 2021, a far cry from its cheeky growth a few years ago. In 2021, the global telephony market should start to rise again and it is Xiaomi that should benefit, in particular on the 5G part. The analyst report projects 198 million mobiles sold, representing an 11% market share. The manufacturer would thus take third place behind the irremovable Apple and Samsung sharing the crown.

Source: TrendForce