According to a recent estimate from International Data Corporation (IDC), Samsung has recaptured its position as the world’s top smartphone producer, surpassing Apple in the first quarter of 2024.
During this time, Apple’s smartphone shipments fell by 10%, as Android competitors fought for supremacy.
Global smartphone shipments increased by 7.8% from January to March, reaching 289.4 million units.
Samsung secured a 20.8% market share, surpassing Apple to take the lead, while Apple settled for 17.3% market share.
Notably, Apple surpassed Samsung for the first time in 2023, with a 20.8% market share by the end of the year.
In Q1 2024, Samsung ranked first with 60.1 million smartphones, followed by Apple with 50.1 million handsets.
Xiaomi, a well-known Chinese company, ranked third with a 14.1% market share, delivering 40.8 million handsets.
Transsion, which owns brands such as Tecno, Infinix, and iTel, ranked fourth with 28.5 million smartphones supplied.
Oppo finished out the top five, shipping 25.2 million handsets and claiming an 8.7% market share.
Despite ongoing macroeconomic issues in different areas, IDC reported sustained rise in smartphone shipments, marking the third consecutive quarter of recovery.
Ryan Reith, Group Vice President of IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, expressed confidence about the market’s rebound, citing Samsung’s return and expecting continued competition among leading brands.
“As expected, smartphone recovery continues, with market optimism gradually building among the top brands,” said Ryan Reith, Group Vice President of IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.
“While Apple took the top rank at the end of 2023, Samsung effectively reestablished itself as the dominant smartphone provider in the first quarter.
While IDC expects these two companies to maintain their dominance in the high-end market, Huawei’s resurgence in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo, will likely prompt both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to look for new ways 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,” he went on to say.
Nabila Popal, Research Director at IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team, confirmed Reith’s remarks, pointing to a change in power among the top five businesses and an ongoing trend of consumers choosing higher-value gadgets.
Popal projected significant changes in market strategies as the industry recovers from the upheavals of the previous two years, predicting a stronger and altered smartphone market landscape.
“First, we continue to see increases in value and average selling prices (ASPs) as consumers choose more expensive products with the expectation of keeping them for longer periods of time.
Second, there is a power shift among the top five corporations, which is expected to continue as market players adapt their strategy in a post-recovery environment,” he said.
