Samsung reclaimed the global smartphone market crown from its fierce rival Apple in the first quarter of 2024, during which the total volume of device shipments increased by 7.8%, according to IDC.
Preliminary data from the research firm suggests that the South Korean company was the top smartphone vendor during the first three months of this year with a market share of 20.8%, having shipped a total of 60.1 million smartphones (down by just 0.7% year on year).
Meanwhile, Apple, which became the number one global smartphone vendor for the first time in 2023, dropped to second spot in the first quarter with a 17.3% market share from the shipment of 50.1 million units (a 9.6% year-on-year decline).
“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,” noted Ryan Reith, group vice president of IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. “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,” added Reith.
