Motorola denies losing second place to Xiaomi in LatAm

Smartphone company Motorola, owned by China’s Lenovo, refuted in a statement that it lost the second spot among the largest phone vendors in Latin America to Chinese brand Xiaomi.

In a study released this month, consultancy Canalys said that Xiaomi had become the region’s second largest vendor for the first time in Q2, behind market leader Samsung, on the back of 35% shipment growth in the period with 6.2mn devices.

According to Canalys, Motorola followed in third, shipping 5.7mn units in Q2.

“The number of smartphones shipped in the first half of 2024 is the highest volume ever shipped across two quarters in Latin America,” wrote Miguel Pérez, analyst and author of the report, about the regional market.

Motorola, which for long sat relatively comfortable in its market position in the region, cites IDC data to argue it remains in second place.

"According to the results published in the IDC report for the second quarter of 2024 in Latin America, which includes shipments sent between the months of April and June, Motorola maintains the second position in the Latin American market, with a 17% market share, which represents a slight increase compared to the previous quarter,” the company said in a statement.

In the statement, Motorola mentions “the growth of the illegal market” in Latin America affecting the industry in general, and highlights it has occupied second place for more than six years.

The company, which Lenovo acquired from Google 10 years ago, said it continues to grow strongly in the premium segment, “with our Motorola Edge and Motorola Razr families, consolidating our position in the mid-range."