International Data Corporation’s (IDC) latest worldwide quarterly mobile phone report shows that global smartphone shipments grew to 289.4 million units in the first quarter of this year, up 7.8% from the comparable year-ago period.
The top five smartphone companies, in terms of shipments, were Samsung (20.8% market share), Apple (17.3%), Xamoi (14.1%), Transsion (9.9%), and Oppo (8.7%).”
“Despite having a significant share of market lead, Samsung’s shipments dropped .7% in the quarter compared to the same year-ago period,” Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers,” said in a prepared statement.
“As expected, smartphone recovery continues to move forward with market optimism slowly building among the top brands. While Apple managed to capture the top spot at the end of 2023, Samsung successfully reasserted itself as the leading smartphone provider in the first quarter.”
“The smartphone market is emerging from the turbulence of the last two years both stronger and changed,” said Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team. “We continue to see growth in value and average selling prices (ASPs) as consumers opt for more expensive devices knowing they will hold onto their devices longer.”
Popal also noted that “while the Top 2 players both saw negative growth in the first quarter, it seems Samsung is in a stronger position overall than they were in recent quarters.”
The growth in smartphones also means further trouble for the tablet market. In a separate report, the research firm said that due to falling demand and consumers prioritizing other purchases, worldwide tablet shipments fell 17.4% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2023.
