Apple Ends 2024 With 27.7% Of Smartphone Market Share

At the beginning of 2023, Apple took the title of world’s largest smartphone vendor over Samsung, who had traditionally held the number-one ranking. Since then, the US tech giant has maintained its lead by holding the largest share of the global smartphone market for two years in a row. New data from Stocklytics.com shows that Apple is closing out 2024 with 27.7% of the smartphone market share, 4.5% more than Samsung.

Two Years of Apple Leading the Smartphone Market

Premium iPhone models, including the popular Pro versions, propelled Apple to the top spot. Focusing on premium features and cultivating a device ecosystem allowed Apple to take the edge over Samsung, according to Stocklytics. Apple has also done better at managing supply issues and growing its presence in key markets like India, further fueling its growth in the competitive smartphone landscape.

Although the two companies are still competing, Apple continues to stay one step ahead. According to data from Stat Counter, Apple hit a 27.7% market share in November, marking its 24th month as the leader in the smartphone market, following years of Samsung dominance. Also, that is only 1.5% lower than Apple’s record 29.2% market share from December 2021. The Stat Counter data also show Apple’s market share has grown by 4.2% in the past decade, while its South Korean rival has been losing ground for quite a while now.

The last time Samsung led the market was in December 2022, with a 26.9% share, far below the 33% it held in 2019. As of last month, Samsung’s share dropped to 23.2%, showing a 7% drop in ten years. The IDC data show that the gap between Apple’s and Samsung’s smartphone shipments has also decreased significantly. In the first nine months of 2024, Apple shipped around 151 million smartphones, only 20 million less than Samsung, the smallest difference in the market’s history.

Chinese Brands Now Make Up a Third of Global Smartphone Sales

While Apple and Samsung lead the global market, Chinese brands Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Realme have seen their sales skyrocket over the years, becoming serious competition to the two largest players.

A decade ago, these brands were barely known, but they’ve grown tremendously by offering powerful phones at lower prices, which makes them especially popular in countries where affordability is crucial. At the same time, tensions between Western countries and China have fueled their sales in the domestic market, one of the largest smartphone markets globally.

The Stat Counter data show Xiaomi now holds over 11% of global smartphone sales, more than double what it had seven years ago. Vivo, Oppo, and Realme follow with 5.9%, 5.7%, and 4.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, Huawei’s share has fallen to just 2.5%, a significant drop from the 10% it held four years ago.

For the full story and statistics, click here.

See also: Shipment Gap Between Samsung And Apple Phones Shrinks To Smallest Ever