Apple has faced a setback in the first quarter of 2024 with its smartphone shipments falling by approximately 10%, according to data from research firm IDC, highlighting increased competition from Android smartphone makers vying for the top spot in the market.
The US tech giant’s Global smartphone shipments, however, saw a 7.8% increase to 289.4 million units during January-March. Meanwhile, Samsung has overtaken Apple for the spot of top phone maker with a 20.8% market share. Apple currently stands with a 17.3% market share.
The decline in iPhone shipments is surprising given Apple’s strong performance in the December quarter when it briefly surpassed Samsung as the world’s No.1 phone maker. Besides Samsung offering increased competition, Chinese brands like Huawei and Xiaomi have also been gaining market share, contributing to Apple’s decline. Xiaomi holds the third position with a market share of 14.1% in the first quarter.
Samsung’s success followed the launch of its latest flagship Galaxy S24 series at the beginning of the year. The company shipped over 60 million phones during the period, with global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones showing an 8% increase compared to the previous Galaxy S23 series.
In contrast, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones in the first quarter 2024, down from 55.4 million units shipped during the same period last year.
The challenges in China persist for Apple, with smartphone shipments shrinking by 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year. Restrictions imposed by Chinese companies and government agencies on the use of Apple devices have posed hurdles in the company’s third-largest market.
Looking ahead, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled for June will likely spotlight updates to the software powering iPhones, iPads, and other devices. There may also be developments regarding artificial intelligence (AI) technology at Apple, which the company has remained relatively muted on.
