Apple’s smartphone shipments fell nearly 10% in the first quarter of 2024, hit by intense competition from Android smartphone makers vying for the top spot, data from research firm ITC showed on Sunday.
Global smartphone shipments rose 7.8% to 289.4 million units between January and March, with Samsung overtaking Apple as the biggest manufacturer with a 20.8% market share.
Samsung is the world’s number 1 phone maker in the last December quarter. With Chinese brands like Huawei gaining market share, it returned to second place with 17.3% market share.
Xiaomi, one of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers, came in third with a 14.1% market share in the first quarter.
South Korea’s Samsung launched its latest range of smartphones – the Galaxy S24 series – earlier in the year, selling more than 60 million phones during the period.
Global Galaxy S24 smartphone sales rose 8% in the first three weeks of availability compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 series, data provider Counterpoint previously reported.
In the first quarter, Apple sold 50.1 million iPhones, up from 55.4 million units in the same period last year, according to ITC.
In the last quarter of 2023, Apple smartphone exports in China decreased by 2.1% compared to the previous year.
Some Chinese companies and government agencies are restricting the use of Apple devices by employees, underscoring the challenges facing the US company in its third largest market.
The Cupertino, California-based company, which will host its June Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), will highlight updates to the software that powers iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices.
Investors are closely following updates on Apple’s artificial intelligence development, which has so far been tight-lipped about incorporating AI technology into its devices. Microsoft lost its title as the world’s most valuable company earlier this year.
