Apple Overtakes Samsung As World’s Top Smartphone Seller, Ending 12-Year Dominance

In a historic shift, Apple’s iPhone has claimed the title of the world’s best-selling smartphone, breaking Samsung’s 12-year dominance at the top, as revealed by data from the International Data Corporation on Monday.

The iPhone secured this position in 2023, selling 234.6 million units compared to Samsung’s 226.6 million units.

With a 20.1 percent market share, Apple surpassed Samsung’s 19.4 percent, marking a significant milestone.

Market analysts attribute Apple’s ascent to the success of premium devices, particularly the iPhone.

They also highlight the growing fragmentation in the Android smartphone market, citing competition from low-end Samsung rivals like Transsion and Xiaomi, as well as Honor and Google. Additionally, Huawei’s strong performance in China has impacted Samsung’s sales.

The IDC’s data, released just ahead of Samsung’s anticipated product unveiling event in California, indicates a global decline of 3.2 percent in smartphone shipments to 1.17 billion units in 2023.

Despite this, the IDC remains optimistic, stating that growth in the second half of the year has solidified expectations for a recovery in 2024.