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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.
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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.
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