Global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 7.8% year-on-year to 289.4 million units

On April 15th, according to a report released by market research firm IDC, global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 7.8% year-on-year to 289 million units. The institution believes that the third consecutive quarter of growth in shipment volume strongly indicates that the recovery is proceeding smoothly. The top three global shipments in the first quarter were Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi. Among them, Apple’s global iPhone shipments decreased by 9.6% from January to March, totaling 50.1 million units. Ryan Reith, Vice President of IDC’s Global Mobile and Consumer Device Tracking Division, said that the recovery of smartphones continues to advance, and the market optimism of top brands is slowly heating up, as expected. After Apple won the top spot at the end of 2023, Samsung regained its leading position as a smartphone supplier in the first quarter of this year. IDC predicts that these two companies will continue to maintain their leading position in the high-end market, but Huawei’s recovery in the Chinese market, as well as significant growth in Xiaomi, Transsion, OPPO/OnePlus, and vivo, may prompt Samsung and Apple to seek areas for expansion and diversification. “As the economy recovers, we are likely to see top companies’ share continue to expand, while smaller brands are struggling to position themselves.” IDC analyst Nabila Popal said that the smartphone market is emerging from the turbulence of the past two years and becoming stronger, larger, and more volatile. “First of all, we can continue to see the growth of value and average selling price, because consumers choose more expensive equipment and know that they can use it longer. Second, the strength of the top five companies is also changing. As market participants adjust their strategies after the economic recovery, this change may continue.” The analyst said that Xiaomi is making a strong return from the sharp decline in the past two years, and Chuanyin has become a stable member of the top five companies through its positive development in the international market. By contrast, although the top two companies experienced negative growth in the first quarter, Samsung’s overall situation seems to be stronger than in recent quarters.