Apple overtook Samsung as the world’s top smartphone seller, ending the South Korean tech company’s 12-year reign as the industry leader.
According to statistics from International Data Corporation (IDC), iPhone sold 234.6 million units in 2023, overtaking Samsung’s 226.6 million units.
IDC said Apple’s laurels with the launch of the iPhone 15 in September were due to trends such as the growing popularity of high-end devices, which now account for more than 20% of the market.
“The last time a company other than Samsung topped the smartphone market was in 2010, and in 2023, it is now Apple,” IDC said. “A sort of change in power at the top in the largest consumer electronics market was propelled by Apple’s record market share, putting it on top for the first time.”
The $2.8 trillion (£2.2 trillion) US tech company had a 20.1% market share, ahead of Samsung’s 19.4%, according to IDC. Apple has established itself as the largest smartphone maker in terms of sales and profits, but this is the first time it has led the market in terms of unit sales.
The sales data was released ahead of the launch of Samsung’s latest models on Wednesday, with the South Korean conglomerate expected to launch the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra with features powered by artificial intelligence.
Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm CCS Insight, said the IDC data was a “mental” blow to Samsung, but he expected the competition to remain close this year.
“While I think it will remain a close race throughout 2024, there is little doubt that Apple is on a strong trajectory, and the loyalty that consumers have for Apple devices will continue to grow once they are acquired,” he said. This means that they rarely switch to something else.”
Wood said this data further emphasizes the importance of Samsung’s new product announcements on Wednesday.
“This means Samsung needs to do everything it can to not only attract new customers for its devices, but also to retain existing users.”
IDC also pointed to the increasing fragmentation of the smartphone market running on the Android operating system, citing low-end Samsung rivals such as Transsion, Xiaomi, Honor and Google.
IDC said the success of Huawei products, which were well-received in China, also contributed to Samsung’s sales decline. The data provider added that Huawei remains a competitive threat to Apple in China, the US company’s biggest market.
Global smartphone shipments fell 3.2% to 1.17 billion units in 2023, according to IDC, but the group said the industry is recovering after a downturn.
IDC added: “Growth in the second half of this year solidified the recovery expected in 2024.”
Last week, Apple was overtaken by Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company at $2.9 trillion.
Source: www.theguardian.com
