Apple dethrones Samsung as top spot smartphone brand
For the first time in over a decade, Apple has dethroned Samsung as the world's leading smartphone vendor in market share, as per International Data Corporation (IDC). In the fourth quarter of 2023, Apple shipped a whopping 80.5 million iPhone units, an 11.6% increase from the previous year. This feat was achieved even as global smartphone shipments dipped by 3.2%, totaling 1.17 billion units in 2023.
Apple's growth attributed to emerging markets
Apple's success is mainly attributed to its growing popularity in emerging markets. The IDC report states, "While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, stemming from rapid growth in emerging markets, the biggest winner is clearly Apple." Among the top three companies (Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi), Apple is the only one to exhibit positive annual growth, despite fierce competition from brands like Huawei in China.
Top 5 smartphone companies by shipments in 2023
The IDC report ranks the top five smartphone companies based on total 2023 smartphone shipments. Apple takes the lead with 234.6 million units, followed by Samsung at 226.6 million, Xiaomi with 145.9 million, OPPO at 103.1 million, and Transsion with 94.9 million units. According to IDC, the growth of Apple and decline of Samsung are partially due to the Android market "diversifying within itself," as Huawei bounces back and other companies like Google and OnePlus introduce competitive products.
