Apple overtook Samsung to become the largest smartphone seller worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2020, a feat Apple has not achieved since 2016, according to market data from Gartner.

In the last quarter of 2020, Apple sold 80 million new iPhones, and sales were largely driven by the launch of the first iPhone series with 5G technology. Gartner says 5G and improved camera features helped convince customers to upgrade to iPhone 12 models in the fourth quarter of the year.

She added: Although consumers remained wary about spending, 5G-enabled smartphones and camera features encouraged some users to buy new smartphones or upgrade their existing smartphones this quarter.

Compared to 2019, Apple sold more than 10 million additional iPhones in the fourth quarter and saw its share of the global smartphone market increase by nearly 15 percent.

Samsung, Apple’s closest competitor, saw its market share drop by 11.8 percent and sold 8 million fewer devices compared to just one year, according to market data.

Apple’s increased market share of roughly 15 percent is related to the super-upgrade cycle. In the first quarter of 2021, Apple saw the largest number of iPhone upgrades, according to CEO Tim Cook. IPhones alone generated more than $ 65 billion in revenue in the first quarter of the year.

But in the bigger picture, global smartphone sales fell 12.5 percent in 2020. Among the top five smartphone makers, only Apple and Xiaomi were unaffected by the global drop in sales.

Apple’s growth comes even though it launched the iPhone 12 series outside of the usual September timeframe due to the global health crisis.

In all areas, the rapid growth of 5G adoption worldwide has increased the demand for 5G compatible smartphones.

In this sense, it is possible that the iPhone 12 mini, despite reports of poor performance, has helped Apple to overtake Samsung thanks to its small shape and relatively affordable price.