Samsung beats Apple to emerge the number one smartphone brand as iPhone sales decline

Samsung apple

Apple’s reign as the number one smartphone brand in the world came to an end as Samsung emerged on top, according to a report by IDC. The report also reveals that global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% year over year to 289.4 million units in the first quarter of 2024.

Samsung shipped 60.1 million units in the first quarter of 2024 with 20.8% market share. Apple’s shipments dropped by 10% and shipped 50.1 million units. In the corresponding quarter last year, Apple had shipped 55.4 million iPhones. Apple’s market share stood at 17.3% in the first quarter of 2024.

In the third spot was Xiaomi with 14.1% market share as it shipped just over 40 million units in Q1 2024.

“While IDC expects these two companies to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, the resurgence of Huawei in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo will likely have both OEMs looking for areas to expand and diversify. As the recovery progresses, we're likely to see the top companies gain share as the smaller brands struggle for positioning,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.

"The smartphone market is emerging from the turbulence of the last two years both stronger and changed," said Nabila Popal, research director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team.

According to Popal, there is a shift in power among big give companies, which will likely continue as market players adjust their strategies in a post-recovery world. “Xiaomi is coming back strong from the large declines experienced over the past two years and Transsion is becoming a stable presence in the Top 5 with aggressive growth in international markets,” she added.

Transsion was the fastest growing brand as its shipments rose by an impressive 84.5%. The Chinese conglomerate shipped 28.5 million units and its market share was just under 10%.

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