Apple only vendor to see growth in smartphone sales in Q2 2020: Report

"Apple defied expectations in Q2. Its new iPhone SE was critical in the quarter, accounting for around 28 percent of its global volume, while iPhone 11 remained a strong best-seller at nearly 40 percent," analyst Vincent Thielke on Friday.

According to him, iPhone SE will remain crucial to prop up volume this year, amid delays to Apple's next flagship release.

"In China, it had blockbuster results, growing 35 percent to reach 7.7 million units. It is unusual for Apple's Q2 shipments to increase sequentially," said Thielke.

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The smartphone market worldwide fell to 285 million units, a second consecutive quarter of freefall, as lockdown orders caused by the Covid-19 pandemic persisted through April and May.

Huawei toppled Samsung with shipping 55.8 million units, compared to Samsung's 53.7 million in Q2 2020. Apple was third with 45.1 million units.

Xiaomi came fourth, shipping 28.8 million units, which was down 10 percent, and OPPO reclaimed fifth place from Vivo, shipping 25.8 million units with a 16 percent decline.

"As well as the new iPhone SE, Apple is also demonstrating skills in new user acquisition. It adapted quickly to the pandemic, doubling down on the digital customer experience as stay-at-home measures drive more customers to online channels," said the report.