Android Phone Shipments Surge In Q1 2024 As iPhone Sales Nosedive

According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, global smartphone shipments increased 7.8 per cent year-on-year to 289.4 million units in the first quarter of 2024.

This latest increase marks the third consecutive quarter of shipment growth, a strong indicator that the recovery of the market is well underway.

However, Apple appeared to lose ground to its Android rivals with iPhone shipments down nearly 10 per cent in the first quarter.

In Q1 2024, Samsung shipped 60.1 million units, only a 0.7 per cent year-on-year decline, and held a dominant 28 per cent market share as to the number of devices shipped.

Apple, in second position, shipped 50.1 million iPhones and was down 9.6 per cent since the same period last year, but still held 17.3 per cent of the market share for the total number of devices shipped.

In Q1 2024, the other major contenders included Xiaomi with 40.8 million devices (+33.8 per cent y-on-y; 14.1 per cent market share), Transsion that shipped 28.5 million units (+84.9 per cent y-on-y; 9.9 per cent market share) and Oppo which managed to ship 25.2 million devices (-8.5 per cent y-on-y; 8.7 per cent market share).

“While Apple managed to capture the top spot at the end of 2023, Samsung successfully reasserted itself as the leading smartphone provider in the first quarter. While IDC expects these two companies to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, the resurgence of Huawei in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo will likely have both OEMs looking for areas to expand and diversify. As the recovery progresses, we’re likely to see the top companies gain share as the smaller brands struggle for positioning,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.

Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team, added, “The smartphone market is emerging from the turbulence of the last two years both stronger and changed.

“Firstly, we continue to see growth in value and average selling prices (ASPs) as consumers opt for more expensive devices knowing they will hold onto their devices longer. Secondly, there is a shift in power among the Top 5 companies, which will likely continue as market players adjust their strategies in a post-recovery world. Xiaomi is coming back strong from the large declines experienced over the past two years and Transsion is becoming a stable presence in the Top 5 with aggressive growth in international markets. In contrast, while the Top 2 players both saw negative growth in the first quarter, it seems Samsung is in a stronger position overall than they were in recent quarters.”