Although it’s still too early to tell which phones will be the best-sellers of 2020, we do know which models sold well in the first half of this year. This list contains many familiar faces from 2019, and our research includes data from Omdia. Apple and Xiaomi seem to have the most entries so far. Let’s dive in to find out.
Apple Takes the Lead
You’re probably aware that Apple released the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro in the latter part of 2019. The handsets were quite an improvement from previous models, as they came with more exciting colors and interesting-looking camera set-ups.
Which of them took the number 1 spot, however? The more affordable iPhone 11. Omdia’s reports claim that 37.7 million units of the model were sold. It wouldn’t be surprising if it ends up snagging the number 1 spot as the best-selling smartphone of this year.
The device came with the A13 Bionic chip, which was a beast. Unfortunately, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro were released in October this year. They beat the super-powerful A13. This is because they have the A14 processor inside which is arguably the most powerful chipset around.
Samsung Was A Not-So-Close Second
The Galaxy A51 earned second place. However, it is far behind the iPhone 11 in terms of sales. Samsung only made 11.4 million off the model.
Unlike its counterpart, it is a more affordable handset. You can purchase it for around USD 300, and it comes jam-packed with specs. This makes it very appealing for its price.
There is an immersive 6.5-inch display. It rocks a Super AMOLED screen, making things more vibrant. There are barely any bezels either. It has an 87.4% screen-to-body ratio, which is a testament to this.
Its processor, Exynos 9611is equally effective. It’s no A13 bionic, but it can handle extensive tasks.
Of course, its good looks also helped it snag the number 2 spot.
Sadly, it’s the only handset from the brand to make the list. Meanwhile, Apple had several best-selling phones.
Xiaomi Came 3rd & 4th
If you’ve used Xiaomi’s phones before, you’re probably not surprised that their devices made it to the top four. The Chinese phone giant has only been rising in popularity.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is the third best selling phone of the first half of 2020. It gave Samsung’s A51 a run for its money and sold 11 million units. It’s a lot more affordable than the Samsung as well. You can purchase it for around $180.
Its exterior might be the first thing that catches your eye, as there is a shiny gradient back. The fact that it can be picked up in so many colors makes it appealing too. There’s a Nebula purple variant – how often do you see phones in that shade?
It has a pretty good camera, which you wouldn’t expect from a phone of this price. Its primary sensor is a wide 48 MP lens, secondary sensor is an ultrawide 8 MP lens, and its tertiary sensor is a macro 2 MP lens. Its fourth sensor is a depth 2 MP lens.
The Note 8’s better half, the Note 8 Pro came in at a fourth place. It sold just over 10 million units – around 10.2 million. You can find it for a little over USD 200. What makes it better than its counterpart?
The superior Helio G90T chip. It also comes with a larger battery and a much better camera. Its primary sensor is now a wide 64 MP lens.
Apple & Xiaomi Dueled for The Remaining Spots
Let’s first talk about Apple, since they snagged the number 1 spot. The iPhone SE (2020), XR, and 11 Pro Max earned the 5th, 6th, and 7th spots respectively.
The SE was a reiteration of the highly popular 2016 phone by the same name. Newer handsets, including iPhones, tend to be on the larger side. That’s why many users flocked to the SE – its screen was a change from the norm, being 4.7 inches. What’s impressive is that it was released in April this year, yet still made the top five. Apple made 8.7 million sales off it.
The XR wasn’t released all that recently. The company launched it in the latter part of 2018 and it sold 8 million units in the first half of this year. The 11 Pro Max provided some stiff competition for it. The better version of the 11 sold 7.7 million units.
Onto Xiaomi:
The Redmi 8A and Redmi 8 earned 8th and 9th place respectively. What’s noteworthy about the former is that it’s a handset that’s under $100. It’s probably one of the best phones under $100 around. It comes in at $99 while having an impressive 5000 mAh battery. From all the phones discussed so far, its battery is the largest. It also offers impressive Gorilla Glass 5 on its front.
Xiaomi sold 7.3 million Redmi 8As and 6.8 million Redmi 8s. The 8A has better specs and costs more. It’s still affordable, though. You’ll find it for around $130.
Apple’s 11 Pro is in the final place. The company sold 6.7 million units of the model. Although it’s called the Pro, it underperforms compared to the iPhone 11 in several ways. Firstly, its battery is smaller; it has a 3046 mAh battery, while its alternative has a 3110 mAh. It doesn’t do well in the size department either. Its screen is only 5.8 inches.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to phones that make the list for bestselling handsets of this year, it’s clear that Apple and Xiaomi will earn high spots. Although the list is not out yet, we have been able to do some digging to find out which phones sold most in the first half of this year. From this assortment, the iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy A51 snagged the top two places.
Unfortunately, the A51 is Samsung’s only entry on the list. The rest were exclusively made up of Xiaomi and Apple devices.
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