Apple Overtaken as World’s Largest Phone Seller

Apple’s short reign as the world’s biggest phone seller has come to an end. According to the International Data Commission, Samsung has regained the top spot with a nearly 21% market share, surpassing Apple's 17% share for the first quarter of 2024.

For Apple, the first quarter marked its worst performance since the pandemic, with shipments falling to 50.1 million phones from 55.4 million in the previous quarter. The downturn in Apple's performance can be attributed to the rise of Chinese smartphone manufacturers. Xiaomi, ranked third, increased its shipments by over 33% in the first quarter, while fourth-ranked Transsion saw an 85% surge. Oppo, another Chinese firm, completed the top five.

“There is a shift in power among the Top 5 companies, which will likely continue as market players adjust their strategies in a post-recovery world,” said Nabila Popal, Research Director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team. “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.”

Meanwhile, Samsung has reclaimed its position as the world's largest mobile phone seller, a title it held for 12 years before Apple's brief surge at the end of 2023. The Guardian reports that the success of its latest high-end S24 models at the beginning of 2024 played a large role in this achievement,   Samsung has enhanced the S24 series with AI features, including automatic phone call translation and video editing software, bolstering its market presence.

In 2023, Apple shipped more than 234 million iPhones, which contributed to the company's market capitalization of over $2.7 trillion.