According to the newest report Samsung is the best-selling smartphone brand of the last 10 years. But things are changing rapidly.
Last year, Samsung lost the top spot in the global smartphone market to Apple for the first time in 13 years. In 2023, Apple’s market share was 20.1%, while Samsung’s was 19.4% (down from 21.7% in 2022). In January, Samsung released the S24 smartphone with AI features and enhanced camera capabilities. The Galaxy AI options in the new gadget include real-time translation into 13 languages during calls and the “Circle for Search” feature, which allows users to search by drawing a circle on the screen.
Apple and Samsung phones have fought for people’s attention for years. Professionals and users test them for performance. One of the tests, for example, is playing at online casinos on Non GamStop Bookies UK sites, where everything is important: speed, quality, sound, and performance. There is no clear winner. Numerous reports and studies confirm this.
The analytical firm AltIndex has published a new report on global smartphone sales from 2014 to 2024. It shows that Samsung’s performance has slightly declined, but the company has managed to maintain market leadership.
Samsung
During the last ten years, South Korea’s big company sold almost three billion phones. This is bigger than Apple and combined Xiaomi, Huawei, and Vivo. But Samsung’s sales are going down. In 2014, the company sold 292.3 million devices, but by 2022, yearly shipments fell by 18% to 258 million.
Apple
Apple came in second with 2.203 billion units sold. Between 2014 and 2015, iPhone sales jumped by 20% to 231 million units. They then declined for nearly four years but started to rise again in 2019. In 2023, they reached a record high of 231.8 million units.
As a result, over the past decade, Samsung’s market share has fallen by 10%, while Apple’s shipments have increased by 2%. The decline of the South Korean company is attributed to the emergence of many budget smartphones from Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo.
The best-selling smartphone brands over the past 10 years are:
1. Samsung — 2.937 billion units
2. Apple — 2.203 billion units
3. Xiaomi — 1.147 billion units
4. Huawei — 1.057 billion units
5. Oppo — 911.9 million units
6. Vivo — 526.6 million units
Samsung currently holds 20.8% of the global market, Apple 17.3%, and Xiaomi 14.1%. Interestingly, for the Chinese company, this is three times more than 10 years ago.
iPhone Vs Samsung in 2023
Experts from the Chinese analytical company Chaodian have found out which smartphone models priced between $600 and $800 sold the best. The presented report concerns sales in the last quarter of 2023.
The most popular Apple smartphones are the iPhone 15, 13, and 14. The list also includes the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 mini, and iPhone 15 Plus. The second most popular brand was Samsung, with 4 out of the 20 best-selling smartphones.
Top 20 Best-Selling Smartphones Priced $600-$800 in Q4 2023:
1. iPhone 15 — 5.29 million units
2. iPhone 13 — 2.37 million units
3. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE — 2.24 million units
4. iPhone 14 — 1.93 million units
5. Samsung Galaxy S23 — 1.69 million units
6.Google Pixel 8 — 1.18 million units
7. Xiaomi 14 Pro — 870 thousand units
8.iPhone 12 — 460 thousand units
9. vivo X100 Pro — 350 thousand units
10. Motorola Razr 2023 — 300 thousand units
11. Xiaomi 14 — 250 thousand units
12. Xiaomi 13T Pro — 220 thousand units
13. Samsung Galaxy S22 — 210 thousand units
14. iPhone 15 Plus — 210 thousand units
15. Huawei Mate 60 — 190 thousand units
16. IQOO 12 Pro — 170 thousand units
17. OPPO Find N3 Flip — 170 thousand units
18. Samsung Galaxy S23+ — 160 thousand units
19. Google Pixel 7 — 160 thousand units
As you can see there are very few smartphones with flexible screens on the list. This is because foldable smartphones typically cost more than $800.
In the US, Apple still held the top spot, but from January to February 2024, Samsung increased its market share from 20% to 36%. Meanwhile, the sales volume of the “apple” corporation in the US decreased from 64% to 48%, explains The Korea Times.
Apple also lost its lead to Samsung in the global smartphone market as iPhone shipments dropped by 10% in the first quarter of 2024.
According to research firm IDC, global smartphone shipments increased by 7.8% during January-March and reached 289.4 million units. Samsung took the top spot among manufacturers with a market share of 20.8%. iPhone shipments in the first quarter fell by 10% due to intensified competition from Android smartphone manufacturers — Apple now holds a 17.3% market share. Xiaomi took third place with a 14.1% market share in the first quarter.
IDC says Apple and Samsung sold less this year than last. However, Xiaomi and Transsion from China sold more — Xiaomi by almost 34% and Transsion by 85%. This comparison is from the first quarter of last year to this year.
In 2023, Apple won against Samsung in phone sales worldwide for the first time. Before, in 2010, Nokia was number one, not Samsung. Huawei is coming back strong and taking over in China. Other companies like OnePlus, Honor, Google, and more are making good phones for less money. Foldable devices and the growing discussion about AI capabilities on smartphones are gaining momentum. Overall, the smartphone market is approaching a very interesting time. Who will win the race? The answer is far from obvious.
It’s interesting that recently we have been observing an intriguing trend. People are abandoning smartphones and returning to button phones. One might wonder, why continue using stationary or button phones when mobiles are much more convenient? There are quite significant reasons for this. With minimal use, a button phone can last a week without charging, whereas we have to charge a smartphone every day or even multiple times a day. But the main reason people are returning to button phones is their desire to be protected from fraud. Old-style devices have no payment applications with access to bank accounts. Additionally, it is impossible to install spyware, either accidentally or after being persuaded by fraudsters. Is this trend a threat to Samsung, iPhone, and other smartphone brands? Maybe not. We’ll find out soon.