Top Smartphone Brand: Until December last year, Apple held the top position, but it has now experienced a decline in shipments, resulting in Apple dropping to the second position.

Top Smartphone Manufacturer: The world’s leading smartphone manufacturer is no longer Apple but the South Korean company Samsung. According to data shared by research firm IDC, Apple witnessed a 10 percent decline in shipments in the first quarter of 2024, spanning from January to March. Consequently, Samsung has secured the first position with a market share of 20.8 percent, while Apple trails behind with a 17.3 percent share.

Apple, headquartered in California, performed strongly in December last year, holding the top spot. During the same period, Samsung ranked second, but it has now claimed the first position in the first quarter of 2024. As for the third position, it belongs to China’s leading smartphone company, Xiaomi, with a share of 14.1 percent.

What Contributed to Samsung’s Growth?

IDC attributes Samsung’s market share growth to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24. Global sales of this smartphone surged by 8 percent in the first three weeks compared to the Galaxy S23 series launched last year. Throughout the first quarter, the company shipped over 60 million phones. On the other hand, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones during the same period, down from 55.4 million units shipped last year.

Decline in iPhone Sales in China

The decline in Apple’s market share is primarily attributed to China. iPhone sales in China have significantly decreased over the past year, partly due to China’s promotion of its domestic smartphones. Moreover, the use of iPhones by government officials has been banned in China. Meanwhile, Xiaomi has registered growth in smartphone sales and occupies the third position with a 14.1 percent share.