For the first time ever, Apple has overtaken Samsung for shipping the most smartphones in a single year, according to IDC’s quarterly mobile phone tracker. Although IDC cautions that its data is preliminary and subject to change, a second research agency, Canalys, has Apple ranked No. 1 for all of 2023. IDC has Apple’s total mobile phone shipments at 234.6 million, compared to Samsung’s 226.6 million. Xiaomi, Oppo and Transsion occupy the top five positions with 145.9, 103.1 and 94.9 million smartphones shipped, respectively.
IDC notes that the last time Samsung wasn’t at the top of the annual list was 13 years ago in 2010. At the time, Apple wasn’t even in the top five. Instead, Nokia came in first place, Samsung in second place, LG Electronics in third place, ZTE in fourth place, and Research in Motion (maker of BlackBerry devices) in fifth place. If you needed any proof that 13 years is a long time in the smartphone industry, this list of companies would be it.
“Apple is not only the only company in the top three to show positive year-over-year growth, but it also holds the top spot annually for the first time ever,” said Nabila Popal, research director of IDC’s Global Tracking Team. “Apple’s continued success and resilience is due in large part to the growing trend of premium devices, which now represent more than 20% of the market, supported by strong trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans.”
Although IDC notes that Apple played a major role in displacing Samsung from the top spot, the company has also seen stiff competition from other Android manufacturers such as Huawei, OnePlus, Honor, and Google. It’s not just Samsung that is being challenged by these companies, as Canalys notes that Huawei’s “improving strength” could also pose a problem for Apple’s growth in the Chinese market. Reports emerged last year that Huawei had managed to circumvent US sanctions and build an advanced 7nm processor from China’s chipmaker Semiconductor International Corporation (SMIC) into its Mate 60 Pro smartphone capable of 5G speeds.
While total smartphone shipments fell by 3.2 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, there are signs that the market may be recovering from its recent decline. IDC reports shipments grew 8.5 percent year over year in the fourth quarter, while Canalys posted 8 percent growth after seven straight quarters of declines.