Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi overtook Samsung and Huawei to become the largest seller in Russia’s online smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2020, as the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country led to more online purchases.

In the final quarter of last year, Xiaomi accounted for 31% of Russia’s online smartphone sales, up from 19.2% a year ago, according to Counterpoint Research.

Samsung came in second with an online market share of 27%, but the South Korean giant was still the most popular brand in the overall Russian smartphone market in the quarter.

Apple made it into the top three in regards to online shipments for the first time with a market share of 15.5%, which Counterpoint Research attributed to the increased popularity of its iPhone 12 series and Huawei’s supply shortages largely caused by U.S. sanctions.

Huawei controlled 14.8% of Russia’s online smartphone market in the fourth quarter, claiming the fourth spot, compared with a year ago when it was the country’s biggest online smartphone seller with a 31.2% share.

Counterpoint Research analyst Soumen Mandal said that Huawei “is planning to introduce some flagship models along with some mid-range devices” to provide more options for consumers in Russia in order to regain market share there.

Although Russia’s total smartphone sales fell 11% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, online sales continued to rise, accounting for 35% of the total, Counterpoint Research said, without providing the specific shipment figures.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

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