Increased Shipments Recrown Samsung As The Market Leader, Apple Loses Top Spot

Main Image
  • Like
  • Comment
  • Share

The global smartphone industry shows healthy signs of growth, as total shipments increased 7.8 percent year over year to 289.3 million units in 2024’s first quarter. Though macroeconomic changes exist in many markets, the smartphone market is recovering reasonably, a good indicator for giants like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi. However, amidst the healthy growth rate, Samsung has regained its position at the top of the most popular smartphone brands in the world (in terms of shipment).

Apple Loses The Top Spot To Samsung

IDC Global Smartphone Shipment tracker

According to the latest report by IDC Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Tracker, Apple has lost the top spot to Samsung. The iPhone maker’s shipments fell significantly over the previous quarter. The resurgence of Chinese brands has impacted Apple’s sales in the country.

“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,” says the IDC report. The research firm also believes that the two companies will maintain their hold on the high-end smartphone market.

Further, the Chinese smartphone brands have shown vital signs of recovery in their native market. The report also highlights the increase in average selling prices (ASPs) as customers want to spend on devices they think will last longer.

Here’s Where The Top Smartphone Companies Stand

IDC Global Smartphone Shipment tracker

The Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung regained the first position (which it lost in the last quarter) with 60.1 million units shipped in Q1 2024. This gave the company 20.8 percent of the market share. Although the IDC report doesn’t mention it in particular, we believe introducing AI-based features on the Galaxy S24 series had a major role to play.

The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple comes in second. By shipping 50.1 million smartphones, the company captured 17.3 percent of the global smartphone market. Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi, Transsion, and Oppo occupy third, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.

While Xiaomi shipped 40.8 million smartphones to capture 14.1 percent of the market, Transsion (which owns brands like Itel, Tecno, and Infinix) shipped over 28 million smartphone units. Oppo, on the other hand, shipped 25.2 million smartphones to capture 8.7 percent of the global market.

You can follow Smartprix on TwitterFacebookInstagram, and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the most recent newsreviews, and tech guides.

Shikhar MehrotraShikhar Mehrotra
Shikhar Mehrotra is a seasoned technology writer and reviewer with over five years of experience covering consumer tech across India and global markets. At Smartprix, he has authored more than 1,700 articles, including news stories, features, comparisons, and product reviews spanning automobiles, smartphones, chipsets, wearables, laptops, home appliances, and operating systems. Shikhar has reviewed flagship devices such as the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25+, and Sennheiser HD 505 Open-Ear headphones. He also contributes regularly to Smartprix’s growing automotive section.

With a deep understanding of both iOS and Android ecosystems, Shikhar specializes in daily tech news, how-to explainers, product comparisons, and in-depth reviews. His DSLR photography in product reviews is recognized as among the best on the team.

Before joining Smartprix, Shikhar wrote for leading publications including Forbes Advisor India, Republic World, and ScreenRant. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Lucknow.

Related Articles

ImagePOCO M8x 5G Launched in India With Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 for ₹20,999

POCO has launched the M8x 5G in India, introducing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 to the Indian smartphone market for the first time. The phone starts at ₹18,999 and comes with a 7,900 mAh battery, 120Hz display, and HyperOS 3 based on Android 16. POCO M8x 5G Specifications The POCO M8x 5G features a 6.9-inch …

ImageApple Occupies The Top Spot In Smartphone Shipments 2023, Dethrones Samsung After 12 Years

Even though global smartphone shipments have dropped 3.2 percent year over year in 2023, Apple has taken the top position, beating Samsung to the punch. According to data from the International Data Corporation, 2023 marked the lowest full-year volume (in terms of smartphone shipments) in a decade, “driven largely by macroeconomic challenges and elevated inventory …

ImageSamsung beats Apple and Xiaomi in latest Global smartphone market share numbers

Samsung, a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate continues to to well in the smartphones business. It is one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in the world and the brand has maintained its stronghold in smartphone manufacturing by remaining at the top of the Global Smartphone manufacturing market for Q1 2022. According to the report of …

ImageIndia is Buying Fewer Phones, and Chinese Brands Are Paying The Price

TL;DR IDC H1 numbers are out and they paint a gloomy picture. India’s smartphone market is shrinking, and some brands are taking a bigger hit, according to the latest IDC report. Shipments dropped 7.9% in the first half of 2026, hitting a five-year low at 64.2 million units. But the market’s value still went up …

ImageThe Galaxy Watch 9 Could Be Samsung’s Most Crucial Wearable Upgrade: Here’s Why

The smartwatch space is at an inflection point in 2026. The Apple Watch runs on Apple’s Neural Engine and has dominated the market, with 23% market share, according to Counterpoint Research, whereas Samsung caters to only 5% in Q1 2026. Samsung has known this for two years now. What it announces on July 22 at …

Discuss

Be the first to leave a comment.

Related Products