Apple is the new Global leader surpasses Samsung for the first time since 2010.
Since 2010, for the first time a company other than Samsung become the leader in smartphone market. Apple also makes it way on top for the first time in history. The Global smartphone market has been declined to 3.2% year over year to 1.7 billion units in 2013 as per International Data Corporate (IDC) report but this decline doesn’t impact Apple’s sales that is why Apple replaces Samsung from its long-stable position on top.
Even though Apple is doing something new, Samsung has been making smartphones for more than ten years. But Samsung’s top position wasn’t always definite. In 2020, for a short time, Huawei became the number one smartphone maker instead of Samsung in the second quarter. Some people argue that Huawei could have stayed on top if the United States didn’t make it harder to trade with China by putting stricter rules in place.
Apple is the only one in the top three companies that is growing every year. It’s also now the number one company every year for the first time. This is happening even though Apple is dealing with more rules from the government and facing tough competition from Huawei in China, which is its biggest market. Apple’s continued success is mostly because more people are buying expensive devices. These high-end devices make up more than 20% of the market, and Apple is making it easier for people to get them by offering trade-in deals and financing plans without interest,” said Nabila Popal, a research director with IDC.
Apple’s sales success is impressive, especially when compared to Samsung. Apple mostly sells high-end phones like the Pro and Max versions, while Samsung and other Android brands have a lot of midrange and budget options. The iPhone 15 series now uses a standard USB-C charger instead of the old Lightning port, which might make more people want to buy it.
In 2023, there were challenges with the economy, and there were too many phones in stock early on. This made it a unique year for sales, the lowest in ten years. But by the end of 2023, things were looking up with an 8.5% increase compared to the previous year. Also, the smartphone industry is getting more exciting with better AI features and cameras. New phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S24, are making their debut this week, making it an interesting time for smartphones. We’ll have to wait and see if people still prefer Apple phones in the midst of all these changes.