Samsung replaces Apple as the largest smartphone vendor, iPhone shipments fall nearly 10%

[DragonSlayer101]

In context: Apple and Samsung have long been the two biggest smartphone vendors in the world, but they've regularly swapped the pole position over the past decade. While the iPhone-maker took top spot in the December 2023 quarter, the South Korean tech giant has now reportedly replaced it to become the largest smartphone vendor globally.

According to data from IDC, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2024, giving it a 17.3 percent market share. During the same three months, Samsung shipped 60.1 million handsets, grabbing a 20.8 percent market share.

However, both companies saw a marked decline in overall shipments as Chinese vendors like Xiaomi, Transsion and others grabbed a larger slice of the global smartphone pie. Samsung's Q1 2024 shipments dropped 0.7 percent YoY, while Apple's shipments dropped a much more substantive 9.6 percent.

Apple took the 'largest smartphone vendor' crown from Samsung in the final quarter of last year when it shipped 80.5 million iPhones, grabbing a 24.7 percent market share. Samsung only shipped 53 million devices during the quarter, garnering a 16.3 percent market share. Q4 2023 was the first full quarter after the launch of the iPhone 15 series, and when most Android buyers were eagerly awaiting the launch of the Galaxy S24 lineup.

Globally, the smartphone market grew 7.8 percent year-on-year in Q1 2024, with total shipments hitting 289.4 million units. The most gains were made by Transsion Holdings (with brands like Itel, Techno, and Infinix), which shipped 28.5 million units, an 84.9 percent jump over Q1, 2023. Xiaomi also did exceedingly well, grabbing the third spot with 40.8 million units to register a 33.8 percent growth YoY.

While Apple may be hoping that the launch of iPhone 16 will reverse the downtrend, analysts across the spectrum believe that the company may find it tough to convince people to upgrade from older iPhones.

According to JP Morgan, the upcoming series may not be as successful as some of its predecessors due to the lack of AI features. Renowned TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had also expressed similar sentiments earlier, saying that the lack of new features in the iPhone 16 may prevent it from becoming a runaway hit.

On the other hand, Samsung is riding high on the success of its Galaxy S24 series, thanks in part to the plethora of AI features. The company will be hoping that innovative AI tools like Circle to Search, Generative Photo Editing and Chat Assist will help it not only retain existing users, but gain new customers in the coming quarters.

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Samsung replaces Apple as the largest smartphone vendor, iPhone shipments fall nearly 10%

 

[The Talking Tech]

I guess the U.S lawsuit filed against them is one of many things going wrong for Apple stockholders.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Overheating phones and Apple's monopolistic behavior regarding apps isnt helping them. Maybe they should let go of the obsessive need to police third party apps and finally put a bigger battery in the friggin iphones?

 

[Ashford]

Apple needs to innovate or be forgotten. There are very few good reasons left that will actually drive a purchase & justify paying a premium for an apple product... especially when their new releases have been so... meh..

Compare their ridiculously priced VR headset vs quest 3...

 

[yRaz]

There is nothing left to improve on as far as smartphones are concerned. After 20 years of smartphones we've pretty much perfected them. Even batteries aren't really an issue. I can get nearly 4 days out of my s21+ on a single charge and the phone is 3 years old at this point.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

There is nothing left to improve on as far as smartphones are concerned. After 20 years of smartphones we've pretty much perfected them. Even batteries aren't really an issue. I can get nearly 4 days out of my s21+ on a single charge and the phone is 3 years old at this point.

Batteries are still an issue if you actually use your phone for more then text. 7-8 hours of SoT is alright but we've got room and appetite for more capacity, more runtime. Not to mention that after 4-5 years most phone batteries start developing capacity issues.

Apple could start by simply giving the plus/max a 5000 mah battery to match the android and motorola flagships in capacity. Then they could finally embrace higher recharge voltages to fix the recharge heat issue they've developed.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Apple needs to innovate or be forgotten. There are very few good reasons left that will actually drive a purchase & justify paying a premium for an apple product... especially when their new releases have been so... meh..

Compare their ridiculously priced VR headset vs quest 3...

I hate Apple, but they are selling a "complete" solution, reasonably easy to use. They have a captured maket who get punishment badly for even looking at another Phone.
Sales are always going to drop. even iSheep realise that iPhone 12 doesn't need replacing.
I assume the huge boost from Telcos is no longer there , new phone every 2 years ( as not American )

Really unless AI or some other new feature comes into play, they will move employees elsewhere and shrink costs.

I mean if Apple wants to really grow it would have made the Mac a Steam gaming power horse.

Yeah great new 2nn fab iPhone coming from a curiosity point of view, won't matter much for a cute fan sim or candy crush . or snap shots . Maye more "COOL" video modes now with faster processing ??

 

[Uncle Al]

GOOD NEWS!!! Here's hoping that Apple finally goes into the toilet where they belong .....

 

[p51d007]

I love how both Apple & Samsung (along with most manufactures of phones) say xxx millions SHIPPED.
Not sold!

 

[daffy duck]

Apple needs to innovate or be forgotten. There are very few good reasons left that will actually drive a purchase & justify paying a premium for an apple product... especially when their new releases have been so... meh..

Compare their ridiculously priced VR headset vs quest 3...

Tim Cook is honestly a total plodder. This would be the guy that finished near the bottom of his class and has no vision. He's the "by the numbers" guy and is so stupid as to see the numbers are no longer great. I hated Jobs but at least he had vision. Since Cook it's a formulaic drip feed of improvements each year and price rises despite falling sales.

 

[The Talking Tech]

There is nothing left to improve on as far as smartphones are concerned. After 20 years of smartphones we've pretty much perfected them. Even batteries aren't really an issue. I can get nearly 4 days out of my s21+ on a single charge and the phone is 3 years old at this point.

There's no way you get "nearly 4 days" out of your phone unless you use it once a day...I can tell you that with certainty because I had a S21+

Even new 2024 phones you can't get a full 24 hours with a single charge if you use it for more than just texting.

 

[Watzupken]

Unless Apple makes significant changes in the way they deliver a desirable product, it is inevitable their demand will only decline. All their products are basically going through minor/ incremental changes gen on gen. They can hype all they want, but the truth is that the changes aren't what people really want. So between an iPhone 12 Pro vs 15 Pro for example, is there really such a big change that makes the latter more attractive? The SOC may be more powerful, but for people just using social medial, its nice to have but not important. Same goes for the rest of the upgraded features and material used. We can argue that competitors are no better, but at least I think they really try to push a feature upgrade really hard, I.e. when it comes to camera, we see 1 inch sensor on the likes of Xiaomi, and 10x optical zoom with Samsung. Apple? Still crawling along as usual.

 

[Stella Logan]

iPhone lacks in some places and Samsung gets the benefit of that like the same old design with minor changes also a very major issue of battery timings.
Although in the latest iPhone 15, the battery timing is very improved but still can't beat Samsung and its fast charging feature.
At the end of that day both are doing business and rest is history.

 

[yRaz]

There's no way you get "nearly 4 days" out of your phone unless you use it once a day...I can tell you that with certainty because I had a S21+

Even new 2024 phones you can't get a full 24 hours with a single charge if you use it for more than just texting.

I keep it on battery saver mode all the time and don't use it for anything other than checking the weather, making calls, texting and reading the news if I'm board.

 

[WhiteLeaff]

They are always alternating positions, right after the launch of the new iPhone, Apple takes the lead and then Samsung launches its "new old device" and takes the crown back.

 

[The Talking Tech]

I keep it on battery saver mode all the time and don't use it for anything other than checking the weather, making calls, texting and reading the news if I'm board.

The fact that you have to keep it in power saving mode in which diminishes the phone's potential capabilities says plenty about the need of better batteries on most cell phones.