With 6 million units shipped in the first three months of the year, Samsung’s Galaxy A51 was the best-selling Android smartphone in the world in Q1 2020.
Sales of the device, launched last December and made available in the Kenyan market at the start of the year, accounted for 2.3% of all smartphone sales in the said timeline according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
According to the firm’s latest quarterly report, 86% of the 275 million smartphone units sold between the start of January 2020 and the end of March 2020, ran the Android operating system.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 is said to be popular in all regions around the world with Europe and Asia getting notable mentions.
The device is one of four Samsung smartphones that occupied the top 6 slots among the world’s best-selling Android smartphones in the first quarter of the year. The others are the Samsung Galaxy S20+ at number 3, the Samsung Galaxy A10s at number 4 and the Samsung Galaxy A20s at number 6.
With just under 2% market share each, Xiaomi’s Redmi 8 and its sibling the Redmi Note 8 are the ones that stand between the popular Korean consumer electronics brand and a clean sweep of Android’s top smartphones charts at positions 2 and 5 respectively among the top 6.
The Samsung Galaxy S20+’s inclusion in the top charts is very notable as it is the only super-premium device that made the best-seller list even though there is no shortage of such devices in the Android universe. Remove it from the picture and the top charts are a testament to the popularity of budget smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 is going for about Kshs 30,000 in Kenya. Every other device in the top 6 bar the Galaxy S20+ costs less than that.
“As mobile operators have reduced subsidies in recent years, and many countries are now tumbling into post-virus recession, smartphone consumers globally are becoming increasingly price-sensitive and they are seeking out new Android models that deliver the biggest bang for their buck,” Juha Winter, Strategy Analytics’ Associate Director is quoted saying.
The Galaxy A51’s stellar performance in its first 4 months in the market comes on the back of its predecessor’s own spectacular showing. With sales of over 24 million units, the Samsung Galaxy A50 was one of the five best-selling smartphones last year and the second best-selling Android smartphone, according to Omdia.
