Apple has clinched the top spot in global smartphone sales, toppling Samsung from its decade-long dominance, a recent IDC report reveals. The last time Samsung relinquished its lead was in 2010, during Nokia’s heyday.
Apple’s ascent can be attributed to consistent growth in the premium segment, constituting over 20% of sales, robust performances in the U.S., and innovative resale, exchange, and leasing programs. In 2023, Apple shipped a staggering 234.6 million iPhones, capturing 20.1% of the market, a remarkable 3.7% increase. Meanwhile, Samsung slipped to second place, shipping 226.6 million units, securing a 19.4% market share, reflecting a notable decline of 13.6%.
Xiaomi claimed the third spot with 145.9 million smartphones, marking a 12.5% drop from 2022. Chinese brands Oppo and Transsion (owner of Tecno and Infinix) rounded up the top five, with Transsion exhibiting the highest growth rate, ascending to the fourth position in the last quarter.
Notably, Samsung, gearing up for the Galaxy S24 series launch, witnessed a sales decline in Q4 2023, an anomaly among the top five manufacturers. The imminent Galaxy Flip 6 and Galaxy Fold 6 releases signal Samsung’s determination to reclaim lost ground.
In a broader context, the global smartphone market experienced a 3.2% volume contraction to 1.17 billion devices in 2023, the worst result in a decade. However, a glimmer of hope emerged as the market exhibited growth of 8.5% in Q4 2023, fostering optimism for a demand resurgence in 2024.
Lower-tier Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi thrived, driven by resurgent demand in emerging markets. Huawei staged a comeback in China, intensifying competition in the lower high-end price range. The smartphone landscape is evolving with the rise of foldable devices, Huawei’s resurgence, and the growing significance of artificial intelligence in smartphones. As Ryan Reith from IDC notes, “Very interesting times await the smartphone market.”