Apple and Samsung are surviving the global chip shortage in ways only they can - Android Police

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Those on a tight budget for a new phone these days are facing the crises surrounding the global pandemic head-on. From lengthening lead times to a never-ending chip shortage, manufacturers are coping by putting number one first. And a new report indicates that consumers will be in for another year of this mess.

Based on shipments, researchers at Canalys have determined that Apple was the most popular smartphone brand in the fourth quarter with an estimated 23% of the market. Samsung, which held the crown during the first nine months of 2021, slides to second with 17% — down from 20% the same time last year. Xiaomi (12%), Oppo (10%), and Vivo (9%) round out the top five in the exact same order they did last year. OnePlus shipments are included in Oppo's figure.

According to Canalys, Apple was able to come out on top by keeping delivery times in most markets relatively normal (thanks to the scale iPhones have achieved) and with lower prices in China.

But it's in the low-end that OEMs have struggled the most to adapt with chip foundries expected to take "years" to spool up to demand.

"Smartphone brands are already innovating to make the most of their circumstances," said Canalys VP Mobility Nicole Peng, "tweaking device specs in response to available materials, approaching emerging chipmakers to secure new sources for ICs, focusing product lines on the best-selling models and staggering new product releases."

We've been hearing bits and pieces about these developments all along. Samsung insiders have been worried about chip supplies throughout the past year, right up through to the launch of the Exynos 2200 SoC. We've also seen several devices adopting Unisoc processors in lieu of budget options from Qualcomm or even MediaTek. Furthermore, MediaTek has been making a clear pass for the premium market with the recent launch of the Dimensity 9000.

The path forward remains difficult for smaller brands, though, as Canalys predicts that component bottlenecks won't begin loosening until the latter half of the year.

Samsung needs to stop pushing its own software and just give Galaxy users what they want

And more often than not, what they want is Google's solution

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Jules Wang (1272 Articles Published)

Jules joined the Android Police team in 2019. Before that, he was at Pocketnow. He loves public transportation, podcasts, and people in general. He also likes to take views from the bigger picture in technology from how people are attracted to it to how it's utilized across every other industry.