Samsung ranked as the top seller among smartphone manufacturers in the first quarter, edging out Apple, according to a report from industry research firm IDC released Monday.
Global sales of smartphones went up by 7.8 percent to 289.4 million in the first three months of 2024, according to the report. Samsung had 20.8 percent market share compared to Apple’s 17.3 percent.
The quarter marked a sharp decline for Apple, which saw sales fall by about 10 percent. Samsung’s sales were mostly unchanged, going down by 0.7 percent overall.
Chinese manufacturers made up almost the entirety of smartphone market gains, according to IDC, with Xiaomi and Transsion taking the third and fourth spots in the market. Xiaomi sales rose by a third on the quarter, while Transsion’s sales went up a massive 88 percent.
The Chinese brands have focused much of their market growth in the developing world, with Transsion zeroing in on the growing African market.
“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,” IDC Vice President Ryan Reith said in the report. “While IDC expects these two companies to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, the resurgence of Huawei in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo will likely have both OEMs looking for areas to expand and diversify.”
Samsung shipped about 60 million units in the first quarter, while Apple shipped about 50 million. Xiaomi shipped about 40 million to make it the third-largest manufacturer, with no other company topping about 25 million sales.
“As the recovery progresses, we’re likely to see the top companies gain share as the smaller brands struggle for positioning,” Reith said.
The poor numbers for Apple follow its first ever quarterly revenue decline in the fourth quarter of last year. Sales decreased by 5 percent in the fourth quarter, driven by a depressed Chinese market and rising competition globally.
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