Annual smartphone shipments will grow by a modest 3.3% this year, but more importantly, the market is on course to see a significant change in the global pecking order.
According to predictions shared by Counterpoint Research, Apple is expected to overtake Samsung in shipment terms for the first time in 14 years.
Not only that, but the analyst firm predicts the iPhone maker to hold onto top spot through 2029.
Apple's smartphone division had a good third quarter, with shipments growing 9% year-on-year, ahead of expectations, notes Counterpoint.
The strong performance is expected to continue throughout the rest of this year, with Counterpoint's latest data showing that US sales of its latest iPhone 17 series during the first four weeks of sales outpaced the iPhone 16 (excluding the lower-cost iPhone 16e) by 12%. In China and Japan, iPhone 17 sales over the same period were 18% and 7% higher respectively than the iPhone 16.
