IDC Market Research Company has recently released its overview of the smartphone market for the year 2023. The report highlights a significant development where Apple has surpassed Samsung, its long-standing rival, to become the leading global smartphone distributor. This marks the first time in 12 consecutive years that Apple has claimed the top spot, delivering a staggering 234.6 million units, accounting for an impressive 20.1% market share. This achievement sets a new record for Apple in terms of the highest number of units delivered.
However, the overall smartphone market has experienced a decrease of 3.2%, with a total delivery of 1.17 billion units. This represents the lowest number of units delivered in a span of 10 years. The primary reason for this decline can be attributed to the global economic challenges. Nevertheless, the figures indicate a clear recovery trend projected for the second half of 2024, particularly by the fourth quarter of 2023, with an estimated growth of 8.5%.
Nabila Popal, the Research Director at IDC, suggests that Apple’s remarkable growth is mainly driven by the emerging markets. This positions Apple as the sole producer within the top three with a significant growth rate. Another contributing factor to the success of the iPhone is Apple’s strategic trade-in programs with existing customers, as well as the availability of 0% installment plans in many countries.
In terms of market share, following Apple, the rankings for 2023 are as follows: Samsung at 19.4%, Xiaomi at 12.5%, OPPO at 8.8%, and Transsion claiming the fifth spot with notable growth compared to the previous year at 8.1%.
Tying it all together, IDC’s report emphasizes Apple’s impressive achievement in claiming the leading position in the global smartphone market. Despite the overall market decline, Apple’s smart business strategies and emerging market dominance have undoubtedly contributed to its success.
TLDR: IDC’s recent report reveals that Apple has surpassed Samsung to become the top global smartphone distributor in 2023, delivering a record-breaking 234.6 million units. The overall smartphone market experienced a decline of 3.2%, primarily due to global economic challenges. However, a clear recovery trend is projected for the second half of 2024. Apple’s success can be attributed to its growth in emerging markets and strategic trade-in programs. Following Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion secured the remaining top spots in the market share rankings.
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