Xiaomi pushes Apple down to become the number two smartphone maker

Things are looking great for Xiaomi.

The Chinese smartphone maker was recently removed from the U.S. blacklist, as the Department of Defense realized Xiaomi is not, in fact, a "Communist Chinese military company."

And now, according to new data from Canalys, the company has overtaken Apple to become the number two smartphone vendor globally.

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According to the report, Samsung held a 19 percent share of the global smartphone market in Q2 2021, followed by Xiaomi's 17 percent and Apple's 14 percent. China's Oppo and Vivo hold the fourth and fifth spots, both with a 10 percent market share.

While all the companies on the list achieved some degree of growth compared to the same period last year, Xiaomi grew 83 percent, while Apple only grew 1 percent year-over-year.

SEE ALSO: The best smartphones of 2021 (so far)

Xiaomi's results are due to strong growth globally, with shipments increasing more than 300 percent in Latin America, 150 percent in Africa, and 50 percent in Western Europe, Canalys' Research Manager Ben Stanton claims. However, while the company is known for its excellent budget and mid-range phones, "major priority for Xiaomi this year is to grow sales of its high-end devices, such as the Mi 11 Ultra," Stanton adds.

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One name that's missing from the top five list is Huawei. The company was once the world's top smartphone vendor, but its smartphone sales were on the decline ever since it was blacklisted by the U.S. government.