Here’s Why Apple Is No Longer The World's Top Smartphone Maker
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Sorry, team Apple. It’s Samsung this time.
The South Korea-owned electronics giant has reclaimed its title as the biggest phone maker globally.
Figures from market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC) showed Samsung captured nearly 21 percent share in the global smartphone market, beating Apple’s 17.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024.
This comes as smartphone shipments went up by 7.8 percent year-over-year to 289.4 million units worldwide.
"As expected, smartphone recovery continues to move forward with market optimism slowly building among the top brands," IDC said.
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In 2023, Apple clinched the title of the world’s number one phone maker, ending Samsung’s 12-year reign.
It didn’t take long, however, for Samsung to push the iPhone maker back to second place, as Apple saw fewer global shipments.
Samsung recently unveiled its Galaxy S24 series; while Apple is expected to release the latest iPhones in September, when it usually launches new models.
While the two manufacturers are expected to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, IDC pointed out that notable gains from other phone makers “will likely have both OEMs looking for areas to expand and diversify.”
Xiaomi, one of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers, came in third in the latest market share tracker, followed by Transsion and OPPO.
“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,” the intelligence firm said.
“Xiaomi is coming back strong from the large declines experienced over the past two years, and Transsion is becoming a stable presence.”
Samsung and Apple, in contrast, saw negative growth in the first four months of 2024 at -0.7 and -9.6 percent, respectively; though the former was in a stronger position.
