what you need to know
- The latest data from IDC shows that iPhone sales decreased last quarter, while Samsung’s earlier strategy of releasing the new Galaxy S24 series proved successful.
- In the first quarter of 2024, Samsung shipped 60.1 million units, accounting for 20.8% of the market, while Apple shipped 50.1 million units, accounting for 17.3% of the market.
- While Samsung and Apple are expected to maintain their dominance, other brands such as Xiaomi, Transsion, Oppo and Vivo are gaining traction, especially outside the United States.
Samsung lost the number one spot to Apple in 2023, but is now back in the lead after becoming the world’s largest smartphone shipment company in the first quarter of 2024.
The South Korean electronics giant overtook Apple to regain its spot as the world’s No. 1 smartphone company, according to International Data Corporation.
Early data from IDC reveals two things: Not that many iPhones were taken off the shelves last quarter, and Samsung’s gamble to release the new Galaxy S24 series early did pay off.
According to preliminary data from IDC’s “Mobile Phone Tracking” for the first quarter of 2024, Samsung’s global shipments were 60.1 million units, accounting for 20.8% of the market share. At the same time, Apple shipped 50.1 million units, accounting for 17.3% of the market. Compared with the first quarter of 2023, both companies experienced declines, with Apple’s decline (-9.6%) being much greater than Samsung’s (-0.7%).
While IDC says Samsung and Apple will likely remain in the lead, other brands are growing in popularity, especially outside the United States. Brands such as Xiaomi, Transsion, Oppo and Vivo are becoming increasingly popular.
In the first quarter of 2024, Xiaomi held the first place with 40.8 million units shipped, and Transsion (owner of brands such as TECNO, Infinix and Itel) jumped to fourth place with 28.5 million units shipped, surpassing OPPO shipped 25.2 million units.
Overall, the smartphone market is growing, IDC said. Compared with the first quarter of 2023, smartphone shipments increased by 7.8% in the first quarter of 2024. Last quarter, smartphone shipments were 289.4 million units, compared with 268.5 million units in the same period in 2023. This shows that the industry is recovering well after some time. It may face an economic slowdown before.
While IDC didn’t provide us with details on the specific top-selling phones, high shipments of certain brands are strong indicators of popular phones. Unfortunately, phone manufacturers keep actual sales figures secretive.
Looking ahead, the smartphone market doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Nabila Popal, research director of IDC’s global tracking team, pointed out that average selling prices are rising as consumers choose higher-priced models.