Apple’s smartphone shipments fell by approximately 10% in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from research firm IDC. This decline was attributed to increased competition from Android smartphone makers vying for the top position.
Global smartphone shipments, however, saw a 7.8% increase to 289.4 million units during January-March. Samsung emerged as the top phonemaker with a market share of 20.8%, surpassing Apple.
Apple’s sales decline follows a strong performance in the December quarter when it briefly held the title of the world’s No.1 phone maker. It now holds the second spot with a market share of 17.3%, while Chinese brands like Huawei are gaining ground.
Xiaomi, another major player in China’s smartphone market, secured the third position with a market share of 14.1% in the first quarter.
Samsung, bolstered by the launch of its latest flagship smartphone lineup – the Galaxy S24 series – shipped over 60 million phones during the period. Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones saw an 8% increase compared to the previous year’s Galaxy S23 series.
Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones in the first quarter, down from 55.4 million units in the same period last year, according to IDC.
In China, Apple’s smartphone shipments declined by 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year. This highlights the challenges Apple faces in its third-largest market, where some Chinese companies and government agencies restrict the use of Apple devices, similar to U.S. government restrictions on Chinese apps citing security concerns.
Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June is expected to showcase updates to the software powering iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. Investors are particularly interested in updates on artificial intelligence development, an area where Apple has been relatively quiet. Earlier this year, Apple lost its position as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft.
