Apple Surpasses Samsung in Global Smartphone Sales For the First Time

Joseph Henry, Tech Times 16 January 2024, 01:01 pm

Apple got the last laugh when it comes to smartphone sales this time around. Finally, it beat its rival Samsung in this aspect.

According to the latest report, the last time that Samsung slipped through the top charts was 13 years ago. That was the time when Nokia was still a big name in the phone industry.

Apple is the King of Smartphone Market For the First Time

When the Cupertino tech company dominated the Q4 smartphone sales in China in 2022, everybody was star-struck. It just happened that Apple defied the odds of surviving in a foreign market amid the macroeconomic problems.

In 2021, Samsung and Apple both struggled to keep up with Xiaomi as the Chinese smartphone maker took the top seat-but only temporarily.

Now, according to 9to5Mac, IDC concluded that Apple shipped more smartphones than Samsung last year.

"The biggest winner is clearly Apple. Not only is Apple the only player in the Top 3 to show positive growth annually, but also bags the number 1 spot annually for the first time ever. All this despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market. Apple's ongoing success and resilience is in large part due to the increasing trend of premium devices, which now represent over 20% of the market, fueled by aggressive trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans," Nabila Popal, research director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team said via Mashable.

In another report by Canalys, it was finalized that Apple dethroned Samsung in its comfortable spot.

According to the tech analyst firm, Apple became the top vendor of 2023. For the past two years, the shipment for Apple has been improving.

It's also evident in its strategy portfolio that the iPhone maker wants to position itself at the top by offering a broader set of smartphones to the consumers.

As much as iOS and Android are both concerned, Samsung has taken a different path from Apple.

IDC says that in the Android ecosystem, Samsung has struggled harder to keep up with the other brands.

Aside from Xiaomi, a top-notch Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Huawei returns with a better performance locally, not to mention the emergence of Google, Honor, and OnePlus in the market.

Can Apple Sustain its Momentum?

According to Canalys, Apple might cave in soon on its smartphone sales since the competition in mainland China is becoming more intense with Huawei's improved strategy.

Regardless, what Apple achieved is beyond unimaginable. For years, it only lived behind the shadow of Samsung.

Apple was aware that the competition in China was no joke at all. In order to attract more local buyers in one of the largest markets in the world, the company rolled out huge discounts for iPhone 15 ahead of Lunar New Year.