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Global smartphone sales grew by nearly 8pc in the first quarter of the year, but Apple’s sales fell, pushing it down from the top position it gained at the end of 2023.
Global smartphone sales are making a recovery after a couple of distressed years, with Samsung regaining its dominance in the market.
That’s according to a new report from research group IDC, which claims global smartphone shipments grew by nearly 8pc in the first quarter of 2024 – based on preliminary data – reaching 289.4m units worldwide.
IDC claims that this marks the third consecutive quarter of shipment growth, which suggests that the market is entering a period of recovery, though “macroeconomic challenges remain in many markets”.
The latest quarterly result is a significant change from the same period last year, where IDC claimed global smartphone sales fell by nearly 15pc. Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s worldwide tracker team, said the market is emerging from the “turbulence of the last two years both stronger and changed”.
“Firstly, we continue to see growth in value and average selling prices as consumers opt for more expensive devices knowing they will hold onto their devices longer,” Popal said. “Secondly, there is a shift in power among the top five companies, which will likely continue as market players adjust their strategies in a post-recovery world.”
Apple takes a hit
Meanwhile, the top players in the smartphone market shifted in the last quarter, as Samsung managed to retake its top spot in terms of market share. The company sold more than 60m units in the first quarter, representing 20.8pc of total sales – the highest position of any company but a drop of 0.7pc compared to the first quarter of 2023.
This came after Apple managed to capture the top spot at the end of 2023, but the iPhone maker’s fortunes changed dramatically in the last few months. Apple took the second spot in the global market, but its sales fell by 9.6pc year-over-year, a bigger drop than any of the other leading brands.
Xiaomi had a highly profitable first quarter based on the IDC report, as its shipments grew by nearly 34pc compared to the same period last year, pushing it up to the third position.
“While Apple managed to capture the top spot at the end of 2023, Samsung successfully reasserted itself as the leading smartphone provider in the first quarter,” said Ryan Reith, group VP with IDC’s worldwide mobility and consumer device trackers “As the recovery progresses, we’re likely to see the top companies gain share as the smaller brands struggle for positioning.”
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