Samsung Electronics Regains Top Spot as World's Leading Smartphone Seller After Apple Suffers Significant Decline in Global Smartphone Shipments in First Quarter.

According to preliminary data from the research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) released late Sunday, iPhone shipments fell by 9.6% year-on-year to 50.1 million units. Samsung's shipments only decreased by 0.7% to 60.1 million units, which was enough to regain the lead. Apple had overtaken Samsung in the fourth quarter.

The market shares of both companies have declined, with Apple's share dropping from 20.7% in the previous year to 17.3%, while Samsung's share decreased from 22.5% to 20.8%.

Despite Declines Among the Two Market Leaders, Shipments from the Top Five Smartphone Manufacturers Rose for the Third Consecutive Quarter by 7.8% to 289.4 Million Units, Driven by Chinese Firms such as Xiaomi and Transsion Capturing Larger Market Shares.

Xiaomi, the third-largest smartphone supplier in the quarter, recorded a nearly 34% increase to 40.8 million units, while Transsion jumped 85% to 28.5 million units. Oppo surpassed Vivo and took fifth place in the first quarter.

IDC emphasized that the overall growth indicates that the recovery of the smartphone market is "progressing well despite challenging macroeconomic conditions". In addition, a trend towards higher prices was highlighted, as consumers increasingly choose more expensive smartphones, expecting to use them for longer periods.

Apple's Decline Follows a Brief Ascent to the Top of Global Shipments in the Last Quarter of 2023, Fueled by the Growing Popularity of Premium Devices as well as Aggressive Trade-In Deals and the Company's Interest-Free Financing Plans.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Apple recorded nearly 6% growth year-on-year in its iPhone business, surpassing analysts' expectations with revenue of $69.70 billion. Smartphone sales accounted for more than half of the total revenue in this quarter.