Samsung takes over Apple to lead global smartphone market: Report

Delhi: 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 of 2024, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) report.

The report mentioned that Apple saw nearly a 10%  decrease in smartphone shipments in the first quarter of this year, primarily because of increased competition from Android manufacturers.

A media report indicated that from January to March, global smartphone shipments increased by 7.8%, reaching 289.4 million units.

Meanwhile, Samsung overtook Apple as the top phone manufacturer, with a market share of 20.8%.

In 2023, Apple had surpassed Samsung to become the world's leading smartphone seller for the first time since 2010. However, with just the initial Q1 of this year, Apple has dropped to second place, holding a 17.3% market share, with shipments of 50.1 million iPhones compared to 55.4 million in the same period the previous year. 

The decrease in iPhone shipments highlights the challenges Apple faces in crucial markets such as China, where certain companies and government bodies have restricted their employees from using Apple devices.

IDC predicted that the two companies would maintain their dominance in the high-end smartphone market. With Huawei's comeback in China and significant progress from Oppo/OnePlus, Vivo, and Xiaomi, both Samsung and Apple will be encouraged to explore new avenues for expansion and diversification.