Apple’s smartphone shipments fell about 10% in the first quarter of 2024, hurt by intensifying competition from Android smartphone makers aiming for the top spot, data from research firm IDC showed on Sunday.
Global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% to 289.4 million units between January and March, with Samsung, with 20.8% market share, clinching the top phone maker spot ahead of Apple.
The iPhone maker’s sharp sales decline comes after its strong performance in the December quarter, when it overtook Samsung as the world’s No. 1 phone maker.
It returns to second place, with 17.3% market share, while Chinese brands like Huawei are gaining market share.
Xiaomi, one of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers, occupied the third position with a market share of 14.1% in the first quarter.
South Korea’s Samsung, which launched its latest flagship smartphone line – the Galaxy S24 series – earlier this year, shipped more than 60 million phones during the period.
Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones jumped 8% compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 series during their first three weeks of availability, data provider Counterpoint previously said.
In the first quarter, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones, compared to 55.4 million units shipped in the same period last year, according to IDC.
Apple’s smartphone shipments in China decreased by 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year.
The decline underscores the challenges facing the U.S. company in its third-largest market, as some Chinese companies and government agencies limit their employees’ use of Apple devices, a move that reflects U.S. government restrictions on apps Chinese for security reasons.
The Cupertino, California-based company will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where it will highlight software updates powering iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices.
Investors are closely watching updates on artificial intelligence development at Apple, which has so far said little about integrating AI technology into its devices.
The company lost the crown as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft earlier this year.
New York Post
