Apple dethrones Samsung to become global lead in smartphone shipments

The smartphone industry has undergone a major shift in 2023, with Apple taking the number one global spot for the first time ever, according to new data from IDC and Canalys released Monday and Tuesday. 

After over a decade of Samsung dominance, Apple managed to edge out its rival and become the top smartphone vendor globally in terms of shipments – and it was actually pretty close.

According to IDC, Apple shipped an estimated 234.6 million smartphones in 2023, just ahead of Samsung’s 226.6 million.

This marks a reversal from previous years, when Samsung comfortably led the market. 

IDC attributes Apple’s rise to a combination of factors, including strong demand for the latest iPhones and increased regulatory challenges for Samsung in China.

Specifically in Q4 2023, the smartphone market saw a recovery with 8.5% year-over-year growth and 326.1 million shipments, beating expectations.

Apple remained the leader in the fourth quarter with an impressive 24% market share, according to Canalys. Samsung took second place with 17% share.

Xiaomi, Transsion and Vivo rounded out the top five vendors.

Canalys Senior Analyst Toby Zhu noted that lower priced mid-range devices have been driving growth, aided by recovering demand in emerging markets.

The shift comes after a challenging 2022 for the smartphone industry. IDC reports global smartphone shipments declined 3.2% for the full year 2023, dropping to 1.17 billion units which is the lowest volume in a decade.

This was largely attributed to macroeconomic challenges and high inventory levels earlier in the year. However, the recovery seen in the second half of 2023 points to a more positive outlook for 2024.

As Zhu stated, with easing inflation and supply constraints, vendors can now focus more on innovation and long-term strategic developments.