This is the first time Apple topped the global market with over 20 per cent share of the smartphone shipments in the year, noted IDC in the report. On a related reference, IDC noted, the last time Samsung dropped to second position in the global smartphone market was 2010.
“Apple certainly played a part in Samsung’s drop in rank, but the overall Android space is diversifying within itself. Huawei is back and making inroads quickly within China, Brands like OnePlus, Honor, Google, and others are launching very competitive devices in the lower price range of the high end. And foldables and increased discussions around AI capabilities on the smartphone are gaining traction. Overall, the smartphone space is headed towards a very interesting time,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.
China’s Xiaomi (12.5 per cent), OPPO (8.8 per cent), and Transsion (8.1 per cent) made it to third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively.
About the overall market, IDC said the global smartphone shipments declined 3.2 per cent (year over year) to 1.17 billion units in 2023. The industry tracker, however, expects recovery in 2024, citing 8.5 per cent growth (YoY) at 326.1 million shipments in Q4 (CY23) that is higher than forecasted 7.3 per cent growth.
First Published: Jan 16 2024 | 5:02 PM IST