Apple experienced a decline of approximately 10% in smartphone shipments during the first quarter of 2024, attributed to heightened competition from Android smartphone manufacturers vying for the top position, as per data from research firm IDC released on Sunday.
Global smartphone shipments saw a 7.8% increase, reaching 289.4 million units from January to March. Samsung emerged as the top phone maker with a market share of 20.8%, surpassing Apple.
Apple’s significant sales drop follows a robust performance in the previous quarter when it surpassed Samsung to become the world’s No.1 phone maker.
However, it has now returned to the second spot with a 17.3% market share, as Chinese brands like Huawei gain traction.
Xiaomi, a prominent Chinese smartphone manufacturer, secured the third position with a market share of 14.1% during the first quarter.
Samsung, with the launch of its latest flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S24 lineup, shipped over 60 million phones during the period.
Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones increased by 8% compared to the previous year’s Galaxy S23 series during their initial three weeks of availability.
In contrast, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones in the first quarter, down from 55.4 million units shipped during the same period last year, according to IDC data.
Apple faced challenges in its smartphone shipments in China, with a 2.1% decline in the final quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year.
This decline is attributed to restrictions imposed by some Chinese companies and government agencies on the use of Apple devices among employees, reflecting similar measures taken by the US government against Chinese apps on security grounds.
Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June will showcase updates to its software powering iPhones, iPads, and other devices.
Investors are particularly interested in developments related to artificial intelligence (AI) at Apple, as the company has been relatively quiet about integrating AI technology into its devices.
Earlier this year, Apple lost its position as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft.
Source-Reuters
