Apple Secures Top Spot in Q4 2024 Global Smartphone Shipments: Canalys

Global smartphone shipments grew by 3 percent year-on-year for the October-December (Q4) period in 2024, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of growth, according to a new report by market research firm Canalys. Driven by the popularity of the new iPhone 16 series, Apple secured the top spot in Q4 2024 with 23 percent market share. Samsung came in second place, followed by Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi, Transsion Group and Vivo. Xiaomi is the only brand to achieve year-on-year growth amongst the top three brands.

Apple Dominated Global Smartphone Market in Q4, 2024

According to the latest report from Canalys, worldwide smartphone shipments increased by three percent to reach 330 million units in Q4 2024. Shipments were estimated to be at 1.22 billion units for the whole year, with a 7 percent year-on-year increase.

Apple emerged as the largest contributor to worldwide smartphone shipments in Q4 2024 with a 23 percent market share, compared to 24 percent in Q3 2023. The iPhone maker gained from sales in India and Southeast Asia, maintaining its lead over Samsung for the second consecutive year.

Canalys analyst Le Xuan Chiew predicts that Apple is expected to achieve growth, driven by a refreshed portfolio, hardware upgrades and broader adoption of Apple Intelligence in 2025. The brand appears to have benefited from the late Q3 release of the new iPhone 16 series.

Samsung captured a 16 percent market share, compared to a 17 percent market share a year ago. Xiaomi maintained its third position with a 13 percent market share in Q4 2024. The Chinese smartphone maker is the only vendor in the top three to see positive growth despite the slow rise in global shipments. Canalys notes that increasing presence in the home market and globalisation efforts helped Xiaomi.

Transsion, which includes brands like Infinix, Tecno, and Itel, came in fourth with 8 percent market share. Vivo was in fifth position with 8 percent market share.

The report credits extensive channel networks, competitive products, and effective inventory management of Xiaomi Vivo, and Transsion for their double-digit growth. The research company anticipate that it will be challenging to replicate the market performance of 2024 in 2025.

"Last year's growth largely came from inventory replenishment through vendor and channels, and macroeconomic recovery in specific markets. Demand fluctuations and macro uncertainties remain key challenges. Vendors will focus more on high-end products, enhancing competitiveness through AI integration, product innovation and stronger marketing strategies," said Canalys Senior Analyst Toby Zhu.