In the first quarter of 2024, Apple lost its position as the world’s top phonemaker to Samsung, according to a report.
The report indicated that Apple’s shipments have dropped around 10%, leading to Samsung capturing a 20.8% market share between January to March. This was followed by Apple with 17.3% and Xiaomi, a China-based company, with 14.1%.
The data from research firm IDC, which was cited by Reuters, showed that Samsung shipped more than 60 million devices during the first quarter, after releasing the Galaxy S24 series phones. This was a significant achievement for Samsung, which had been focusing on capturing more market share in the smartphone industry. In contrast, Apple only shipped 50.1 million iPhones during the same period, down from the 55.4 million units shipped during the same three-month period last year. This represents a considerable decrease in Apple’s shipments, which could have been caused by a variety of factors, including competition from other smartphone manufacturers, changes in consumer preferences, or supply chain disruptions.
Overall, the report suggests that Samsung is gaining momentum in the smartphone industry, as it continues to release new and innovative products. Meanwhile, Apple may need to adjust its strategies to remain competitive and regain its position as the world’s top phonemaker.
Overall, global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% to 289.4 million units during the first quarter of 2024, the report added.
It also said Apple phone shipments in China plunged 2.1% during the last quarter of 2023 compared to the year prior.
At a Galaxy S24 launch event in January, Galaxy AI, the artificial intelligence technology Samsung has incorporated into its newest smartphones, received a spotlight. Samsung revealed it would launch what it called a “new era of mobile AI.”
Samsung said it has deployed Galaxy AI for tools like Live Translate for talking or texting on the phones and Interpreter for face-to-face conversations. AI on the new smartphones can also help with the tone of messages, craft summaries of notes and transcribe voice recordings into text, according to the company.
It also introduced “Circle to Search,” a Google function that allows users to “circle, highlight, scribble on or tap anything on Galaxy S24’s screen to see helpful, high-quality search results.”
The news comes as Apple is laying off 614 workers in California following reports that emerged earlier this year that the tech giant is abandoning its effort to build an electric car.
