Apple loses top spot to Samsung as it’s smartphone shipments dropped about 10% globally in the first quarter of 2024. iPhone shipments dropped, hurt by intensifying competition by Android smartphone makers like Samsung aiming for the top spot, International Data Corporation showed on Sunday.
Apple iPhone shipments plunged by pressure of double-digit growth in shipments also by Chinese challengers Xiaomi and Transsion, also per the report.
Samsung top phonemaker
The iPhone-maker’s Apple loses top spot and its steep sales decline comes after its strong performance in the December quarter when it overtook Samsung as the world’s top phonemaker. It’s back to the second spot, with 17.3% market share, as Chinese brands such as Huawei gain market share as smartphone market change.
Xiaomi, one of China’s top smartphone makers, occupied the third position with a market share of 14.1% during the first quarter.
South Korea’s Samsung, which launched its latest flagship smartphone lineup Galaxy S24 series in the beginning of the year, shipped more than 60 million phones during the period.
Global smartphone shipments
Apple, which surpassed Samsung as the largest smartphone maker in 2023, saw its market share drop to 17.3% from 20.7% a year earlier.
“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,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president at IDC Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.
Global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% to 289.4 million units during January-March, with Samsung, at 20.8% market share, clinching the top phonemaker spot from Apple. AAPL-Q +0.86%increase
Smartphone market change
Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones jumped 8%, compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 series during their first three weeks of availability, data provider Counterpoint previously said.
In the first quarter, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones, down from 55.4 million units it shipped same period last year, according to IDC.
Apple’s smartphone shipments in China shrank 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 from a year earlier, due to drop in sales.
Challenges faced by Apple
The drop underscores the challenges facing the U.S. firm in its third biggest market, as some Chinese companies and government agencies limit employees’ use of Apple devices, a measure that mirrors U.S. government restrictions on Chinese apps on security grounds.
The Cupertino, California-based company Apple in June will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where it will highlight updates to the software powering iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices.
Investors are closely watching for updates on artificial intelligence development at Apple, which has so far spoken little about incorporating the AI technology into its devices. The company earlier this year lost the crown as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft.
