Samsung hasn't exactly been struggling to make ends meet lately. But “not doing too badly” just isn't good enough in in this day and age. Not if you want to remain relevant in the developing part of the world. Aka the only remaining avenue for growth if you're still a smartphone manufacturer in 2021. Which Samsung happens to be, to say the least.
But its global industry leadership might be short lived, if Xiaomi's explosive growth is any indication. The former Chinese startup has already been challenging and even occasionally overtaking Samsung‘s number one position in India. India, the second biggest prospect of a smartphone market on the planet – that India.
Can Samsung reverse its fortunes in Russia? Or will this defeat be permanent?
As if that wasn't enough, it would appear that Samsung's now also facing a losing battle in Russia. Because it's no longer the biggest game in the transcontinental country. It lost that title to – who else than – Xiaomi last month, according to local media reports.
More specifically, Xiaomi now holds almost a third of the Russian smartphone market at 31.2%, while Samsung‘s share stands at 29.8%. The duo's followed by Apple at 14.5% and Realme (4.6%), yet another manufacturer from the Far East. Xiaomi's triumph over Samsung also seems way more convincing once you realize its spinoff brand Poco managed to seize 3.8% of Russian smartphone sales in June, thus completing the list of the top five largest mobile brands in the country.
