Although Samsung was pleased with the launch of its Galaxy S24 today, it is actually a bittersweet day, as Apple has snatched the crown as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer. Interestingly, this move has come even as Apple has faced numerous issues with the launch of its iPhone 15. Additionally, Apple has experienced a decline in sales and a loss of customers in China, who are increasingly opting for Huawei devices.
Given this context, it can be said that Samsung has had a very bad year. This is despite having a wide range of affordable devices, which help inflate device sales figures. Now, with the new Galaxy S24, the company is expected to see a rebound in premium device sales. However, it remains to be seen if this will be enough to reclaim its crown.
Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi were the top smartphone sellers in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, behind Apple and Samsung is Xiaomi as the third-largest smartphone manufacturer. However, the company has distanced itself from the two premium manufacturers and is at risk of being overtaken by other companies. To be precise, Apple closed 2023 with a market share of 20%, according to a report from International Data Corp cited by Reuters.
As a result, Samsung was relegated to second place, with a market share of 19.4%. In third place, we have Xiaomi with a 12.5% share. Right behind them are Oppo (including OnePlus, Realme, and Vivo) and Transsion (Tecno, Infinix, and Itel), with market shares of 8.8 and 8.1%, respectively.
The change in leadership occurred during a challenging year for the industry, as consumers were slow to upgrade their smartphones and opted for cheaper phones due to high inflation and economic uncertainty. A slower-than-expected recovery in China, the largest global market for smart devices, also weighed on sales for all manufacturers.
Apple and Transsion were the only two brands in the top 5 to grow in 2023.
Apple and Transsion were the only two of the top five smartphone sellers to record sales growth in 2023, despite the global market shrinking by 3.2%. This equates to 1.17 billion devices sold, the lowest level of the decade.
“While we saw strong growth from lower-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, driven by rapid growth in emerging markets, the clear winner is Apple,” said Nabila Popal, research director of IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team.
Samsung’s phone shipments fell 13.6%, while iPhone’s rose 3.7% last year, according to IDC data. This is quite an achievement given the average cost of a Samsung device ($295) compared to the average cost of an Apple device ($988). However, 2024 will be particularly challenging for Apple, as it is beginning to be replaced by Huawei and other low-cost brands.
The news that Apple has surpassed Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer first appeared on El Chapuzas Informático.
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