According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple has claimed the leading position in the global smartphone market, surpassing Samsung for the first time in over a decade.
Apple captured over 20% of the market share in phone shipments last year, with Samsung following at 19.4%.
The IDC reported a decline of more than 3% in smartphone sales, totaling nearly 1.2 billion units sold, marking the lowest figure in a decade due to economic challenges and pandemic-related constraints. Despite the overall dip, Apple emerged as the “biggest winner,” selling over 234 million phones and experiencing positive annual growth.
The IDC’s Nabila Popal noted, “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.”
Apple’s success is attributed to strategies such as trade-in offers for older models and interest-free financing plans.
Meanwhile, Samsung faces challenges, including weaker global demand for consumer electronics, increased competition from cheaper Android models like Transsion and Xiaomi, and warnings of lower-than-expected profits.
The smartphone market is deemed to enter an “interesting time,” with a growing number of Android providers diversifying the market and consumer preferences shifting towards foldable phones and AI capabilities.
Source-BBC
