Apple's iPhone shipments decline 10%, while Samsung rises to the top

According to market tracker IDC, Apple's iPhone shipments decreased by about 10% in the first quarter of the year as the overall smartphone market recovered.

The number of mobile phones delivered worldwide increased to 289.4 million, a 7.8% increase from the previous year.

Samsung Electronics took the top position back. Shipments for the low-cost brand Transsion increased by 85%, while Xiaomi Corp. recovered. In the first quarter of 2024, Samsung shipped 60.1 million units with 20.8% market share whereas the shipment of Apple’s iPhones dropped by 10%. The company has shipped 55.4 million iPhones. At present in the first quarter of 2024, Apple’s market share stood at 17.3%.

In this race, the third position has been occupied by Xiaomi with a market share of 14.1 and it shipped more than 40 million units in the quarter.

“While IDC expects these two companies to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, the resurgence of Huawei in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo will likely have both OEMs looking for areas to expand and diversify. As the recovery progresses, we're likely to see the top companies gain share as the smaller brands struggle for positioning,” said Ryan Reith, Group Vice President with IDC's Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.

"The smartphone market is emerging from the turbulence of the last two years both stronger and changed," said Nabila Popal, Research Director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team.

According to Popal, there is a shift in power among big give companies, which will likely continue as market players adjust their strategies in a post-recovery world. “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,” she added.

Transsion was the fastest growing brand as its shipments rose by an impressive 84.5%. The Chinese conglomerate shipped 28.5 million units and its market share was just under 10%.