The latest IDC forecasts say the global smartphone market will grow 6.2% in 2024, driven largely by ‘robust’ Android growth in emerging markets and China.
That will bring total shipments up to 1.24 billion units, according IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, following two years of ‘steep declines.’
Pent-up demand for device upgrades is given as one driver for the forecasted growth, alongside ‘pivotal’ Android growth of an expected 7.6% YoY focused in APeJC, Latin America, Middle East and Africa and China, primarily in low end devices.
Apple iOS devices on the other hand are expected to grow a more modest 0.4% in 2024 despite ‘record breaking’ performance in emerging markets like India. IDC attributes this to Apple facing challenges in large markets like China, US and Europe.
However that’s all expected to flip in 2025, when IDC expects iOS sales to grow by 3.1% YoY, outpacing Android’s forecasted 1.7% growth over the same period.
