Apple’s (AAPL.O) smartphone shipments dipped approximately 10% in Q1 2024, facing heightened competition from Android rivals vying for dominance, per IDC data released Sunday. Despite a 7.8% rise in global smartphone shipments to 289.4 million units, Samsung (005930.KS) secured the top spot with a 20.8% market share, surpassing Apple.
This decline follows Apple’s brief stint as the world’s No.1 phone maker in the previous quarter, slipping to second place with a 17.3% market share as Chinese brands like Huawei gain ground. Xiaomi, another prominent Chinese smartphone manufacturer, claimed third place with a 14.1% market share in Q1. Samsung’s success was buoyed by the launch of its latest flagship Galaxy S24 series, which saw over 60 million units shipped in the quarter. Meanwhile, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones, down from 55.4 million in the same period last year.
Notably, Apple’s smartphone shipments in China fell 2.1% in Q4 2023, reflecting challenges in the market amid restrictions by Chinese companies and government agencies on device usage. Looking ahead, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June will unveil software updates for iPhones, iPads, and other devices, with investor interest focused on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
