Apple is at the top for the first time.
In the year 2023, Apple’s iPhone proved to be a significant one for the company. Initially, it eliminated the lightning port that had been present for a long time, and now, according to rumors, Apple has surpassed Samsung in terms of the number of smartphones that have been sent around the world. According to the first findings of the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker published by the International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple sold 234.6 million devices in 2023. This figure represents a market share of 20.1 percent. To put that into perspective, Samsung sold 226.6 units, which corresponds to 19.4 percent of the market share. The findings that were presented by Canalys, a worldwide technology market analyst firm, were similar to those that were brought forth by the IDC.
For the first time since 2010, when Nokia was in the lead and Apple didn’t even make it into the top five, Samsung has fallen out of the number one slot. This particular occasion represents the first time that this has happened. In 2023, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion were the three companies that occupied the final three slots, with 145.9, 103.1, and 94.9 million smartphones shipped around the world, respectively.
This change is noteworthy in light of the fact that the smartphone sector is both oversaturated and subject to ongoing regulations. There is no doubt that Apple was a contributing factor in Samsung’s decline in rank; nonetheless, the Android market as a whole is continuing to diversify within itself. There are a number of brands, including OnePlus, Honor, Google, and others, that are introducing very competitive handsets in the lower price range of the high end. Huawei has returned and is making rapid advances within China. “And foldables and increased discussions around artificial intelligence capabilities on the smartphone are gaining traction,” noted Ryan Reith, vice president of the Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers group at IDC, in a statement. “Overall, the smartphone space is headed towards a very interesting time.”
Notably, the total number of smartphones shipped fell by 3.2 percent in 2023, but the number of smartphones shipped rose by 8.4 percent in the fourth quarter. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is having a difficult time competing in China, as the company’s sales in the region during the fourth quarter were 11 percent lower than they were during the same period the previous year. In preparation for the period of time known as Lunar New Year, which is laden with gifts, the company has reduced the price of its iPhones by almost $70. It is unusual for Apple to offer discounts on its most recent iPhone, which in this case is the iPhone 15, but doing so could be profitable in a market that is experiencing difficulties.