Apple lost top phone maker spot to Samsung as iPhone shipments decline, IDC says

Apple lost top phone maker spot to Samsung as iPhone shipments decline, IDC says

Apple ( AAPL.O ) smartphone shipments fell about 10% in the first quarter of 2024, hit by intensifying competition from Android smartphone makers aiming for the top spot, data from research firm IDC showed on Sunday.

Global smartphone shipments rose 7.8% to 289.4 million units in January-March, with Samsung ( 005930.KS ), at 20.8% market share, usurping the top phone maker spot from Apple.

The iPhone maker’s sharp sales decline comes after a strong performance in the December quarter when it overtook Samsung as the world’s No.1 phone maker. It returned to second place, with 17.3% market share, as Chinese brands such as Huawei gained market share.

Xiaomi, one of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers, ranked third with a market share of 14.1% in the first quarter.

South Korea’s Samsung, which launched its latest smartphone line – the Galaxy S24 series – earlier in the year, shipped more than 60 million phones during the period.

Also read: Apple’s new iPad Pro may launch in May, increasing production overseas

Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones jumped 8%, compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 series during their first three weeks of availability, data provider Counterpoint previously said.

In the first quarter, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones, down from 55.4 million units shipped the same period last year, according to IDC.

Apple’s smartphone shipments in China shrank 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year.

The decline underscores the challenges the US firm faces in its third-largest market, as some Chinese companies and government agencies limit the use of Apple devices by employees, a move that mirrors US government restrictions on Chinese apps on security grounds.

The Cupertino, California-based company in June will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where it will highlight updates to the software that powers iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices.

Investors are watching closely for updates on artificial intelligence development at Apple, which has so far said little about incorporating AI technology into its devices. The company earlier this year lost the crown as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft ( MSFT.O ).