The global smartphone market appears to have rebounded, with shipments rising by 7.8% to nearly 290 million units in the first quarter of the year alone. Samsung has experienced a notable resurgence, reclaiming its position as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer in terms of shipments during Q1.
In the previous quarter, Apple briefly surpassed Samsung as the top smartphone maker following the release of the iPhone 16. However, with the launch of the S24 series, coupled with Apple’s weaker performance in the first quarter, Samsung has now widened its lead significantly.
Samsung now holds a 20.8% market share, overtaking Apple for the top spot, propelled by the marketing push of its Galaxy AI features introduced with the S24 series.
Reports from The Elec indicate that Samsung not only met but exceeded its ambitious target of 55 million shipments for its mobile division last quarter, selling 64.5 million phones and tablets. The success can largely be attributed to the sales of the S24 series, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Conversely, Apple experienced a notable decline in iPhone sales during the first quarter and now trails behind Samsung in terms of shipments, holding a 17.3% market share.
Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone manufacturers continue to rise in prominence, fueled in part by government restrictions on the use of Apple products. This led to a 2% decline in sales in China. Xiaomi now holds the title of the world’s third-largest phone maker with a 14% market share, followed by Oppo, OnePlus, and other local industry leaders.
Samsung’s resurgence in smartphone market share can be attributed to the commercial success of its new Galaxy S24 series, which boasts numerous AI-powered features that have been well-received by reviewers and users alike. These features include real-time translation, Chat Assist, Circle to Search, and other innovative functionalities powered by on-device AI technology, developed in collaboration with Google.
