In a historic shift, Apple’s iPhone outpaced Samsung’s smartphones to clinch the world’s best-selling smartphone title in 2023, marking the first time the South Korean tech giant has surrendered the top position since 2010.
Preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that Apple recorded an impressive 234.6 million iPhone shipments in 2023, commanding a 20.1 percent share of the global market with an annual growth rate of 3.7 percent.
Meanwhile, Samsung experienced a 13.6 percent decline in smartphone shipments, totaling 226.6 million units and securing a market share of 19.4 percent, as reported by the IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
According to IDC, China’s Xiaomi claimed the third position with 145.9 million shipments, representing a 12.5 percent market share. Following closely are Chinese smartphone manufacturers Oppo and Transsion.
IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team Research Director, Nabila Popal, noted, “Despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market, the biggest winner is Apple.” Popal attributes Apple’s success to the rising trend of premium devices, accounting for over 20 percent of the market, fueled by aggressive trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans.
The power shift at the summit of the consumer electronics market is attributed to Apple’s all-time high market share, securing the No. 1 spot annually for the first time. Apple emerges as the only global player among the top three to register positive growth, surpassing Samsung over an entire year, indicating resilience in the face of an industrywide decline in the past two years.
Global smartphone shipments witnessed a 3.2 percent year-on-year decline to 1.17 billion units in 2023, marking the lowest full-year volume in a decade. However, an 8.5 percent year-on-year growth in worldwide smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2023, totaling 326.1 million units, exceeded the 7.3 percent growth forecast, signaling a potential recovery in 2024.
Analysts anticipate the 2024 recovery to be driven by the growth of emerging market economies, increased consumer spending, higher average selling prices, and the rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence devices.
While Apple’s ascent contributed to Samsung’s decline, industry experts note that Android’s overall market is diversifying, and Huawei is quickly making inroads in China. Ryan Reith, Group Vice President of IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, emphasized the smartphone space is heading towards an exciting phase with intensified competition, the rise of foldable devices, and increased discussions around AI capabilities.
Apple’s dominance extends beyond smartphones, as it recently surpassed Amazon to claim the title of the world’s most valuable brand, valued at $516.6 billion, according to a report by consultancy Brand Finance. The report attributes Apple’s 74 percent yearly increase in brand value to its strategic expansion into new markets, ecosystem growth, and encouragement of upgrades to higher-value iPhones.
