We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Apple is the world's largest phone maker again, after snatching that title last year and running with it in the last quarter as well. Buoyed by the sales of the iPhone 16 series and its Apple Intelligence shenanigans, Apple scooped the 23% of all 330 million handsets shipped globally in Q4 of 2024.
According to Canalys, as the smartphone market is recovering and went through its fifth consecutive quarter of growth, Apple went from 24% to 23% of the global phone sales year-on-year, but still kept its leading place, followed by Samsung with 16%.
Next is the perennial value-for-money favorite Xiaomi with 13%, keeping its market share the same, and the fourth Transsion notches a slight dip from 9% to 8%. Transsion is a Chinese phone maker based in Shenzhen which holds the top place in Africa and some countries in the Middle East, Asia, or Latin America.
The fifth-largest phone maker in Canalys's preliminary Q4 sales breakdown is poised to be Vivo with 8%, while the Other category collectively holds the highest, 32% market share. If the three phone makers formerly part of the BBK Holding - Oppo, vivo, and OnePlus - are bandied up together, though, their sales could easily surpass those of Samsung and breathe down Apple's neck.
According to the Canalys report, Apple's solid growth in the past year was due to its stellar performance in emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia. India removed some of the tariffs associated with iPhone imports as Apple increasingly started to produce its handsets there, so they actually dropped in price, resulting in increased market share. Apple was embarked on "active marketing and branding strategies" in the Asia-Pacific region which, while uncharacteristic, brought stellar sales results.
Needless to say, the numbers may very well reverse this quarter as Samsung launches its flagship Galaxy S25 series and the iPhone 16sales face headwinds after early adopters have all gotten one, but still Apple's leadership may be poised to stay with the release of an iPhone 17 Air later this year.
Reserve your Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung!
Samsung has launched its reservation campaign for the Galaxy S25 Ultra! You can pre-reserve a unit, which will give you a $50 Samsung Credit and qualification for a sweepstakes. The prize is a $5,000 Samsung Credit. You can also receive up to $1,250 additional savings when you reserve a unit and pre-order one with enhanced trade-in credits and more!
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: