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Global Smartphone Shipments Up 6.4% in 2024 and Apple Leads

Abdullah Mustapha

January 15, 2025

The global smartphone market saw a strong recovery in 2024. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), shipments grew by 2.4% year-over-year (YoY) in the fourth quarter (4Q24), reaching 331.7 million units. For the entire year, shipments rose 6.4%, with a total of 1.24 billion units. This growth comes after two tough years of decline.

Smartphone Market Rebounds Strongly in 2024, Says IDC

Apple and Samsung remained the top players. Apple had a 23.2% market share in Q4 and shipped 232.1 million units for the year. Samsung followed with a 15.6% share and 223.4 million units shipped. However, both companies saw a slight drop in YoY performance. This was due to the strong rise of Chinese smartphone brands.

Xiaomi claimed the third spot with a 12.9% market share in Q4. It shipped 168.5 million units in 2024, showing an impressive 15.4% YoY growth. This was the highest among the top five brands.

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Transsion, which owns itel, Infinix, and Tecno, secured the fourth position. The company showed a 12.7% growth rate for both Q4 and the full year. Transsion tied with vivo for Q4 and OPPO for the year.

The market’s recovery was driven by smart strategies. Brands used aggressive promotions, launched devices across various price ranges, and offered trade-ins and interest-free financing. Chinese brands played a significant role. In Q4, they accounted for 56% of global shipments. This marked their highest combined volume ever in a single quarter.

Despite this growth, foldable phones struggled. Consumer demand was low, even with heavy promotions. Manufacturers are now focusing on adding AI features to smartphones. This shift is expected to drive growth in 2025.

Nabila Popal, IDC’s senior research director, highlighted the market’s resilience. She noted that brands overcame challenges like inflation, weak demand, and currency issues. Vendors succeeded by targeting both premium and low-end markets, especially in China and emerging regions.

While growth is expected in 2025, the industry faces uncertainties. Potential new tariffs from the U.S. administration are creating concerns. Still, brands are taking steps to manage risks and stay on track.

The smartphone market is set for further innovation and growth in the coming year.

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Source/VIA :

IDC, fonearena