Smartphone sales grow, but lackluster iPhone performance pushes Apple into second place

The first three months of 2024 have started with real effervescence in the mobile phone industry, which has recorded a strong peak in sales after a transitional 2023. However, not all manufacturers have done equally well. The latest report from the market research firm IDC reflects an important dance of chairs in the global Top 5, with Samsung recovering the first position due to a strong correction in Apple sales.

In more detail, Samsung managed to capture 20.8% of the units distributed during the last quarter despite the fact that its figures remained almost unchanged year after year, with a minuscule decrease of 0.7%. Apple has had it worse, with a sharp loss of 9.6% that returns it to second place. This poor result could be explained by the fatigue of the iPhone family, made up of a small number of devices with a very specific orientation, resulting in a catalog with a very high profit margin but more exposed to economic turbulence.

Although Apple's fall has benefited Samsung, the first quarter had much clearer and indisputable winners. This is the case of Xiaomi, with a year-on-year increase of 33.8% (welcome after a very dull 2023) and Transsion, a Chinese conglomerate little known in the West but enjoying explosive growth thanks to its strong presence in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. With a 9.9% market share and a year-on-year increase of 84.9%, it is consolidating itself as a firm to watch very closely.

Beyond the sales volume of each manufacturer, the IDC report points out that there is a growing and continued interest in affordable and mid-priced phones, while consumers who normally purchase high-end phones are holding on to them for longer, delaying its renewal. Another factor that possibly explains Apple's poor performance during the quarter.