Apple might have led in phone sales but a different company shipped the most units during Q1
Earlier today we told you that according to Counterpoint, Apple topped Samsung in Q1 smartphone sales for the first time in history. This morning Canalys, which is now part of Omdia, looked at Q1 shipments and found that Samsung had a leading 20% of Q1 smartphone deliveries worldwide. Shipment data measures the physical transfer or movement of handsets from the seller's location (such as warehouses and factories) to the buyer's location.
Unlike a sale, the shipping of a smartphone from one location to another doesn't generate any revenue for the manufacturer. But this information is still important since it reflects the number of handsets leaving the factory and placed into distribution channels. It is a quick and dirty way to determine market share and shows which regions are experiencing demand for a particular device.
Monday's report revealed that the global smartphone market grew by the slimmest of margins based on a 1% gain in first quarter shipments worldwide. This data showed that Samsung delivered the most smartphones in Q1 and held a 20% market share matching last year's Q1. The company's quarter included the release of its new 2025 flagship series, the Galaxy S25 line. The latter also included the latest version of Sammy's perennial entry for Android phone of the year, the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
"The overall environment proved to be more volatile than anticipated in Q1 2025, while the global market continued its recovery. Following a strong finish to 2024, vendors pushed high inventory volumes into channels to gain share. But slower-than-expected sell-through extended inventory cycles, dampening sell-in momentum in early 2025. Unlike 2024’s recovery, which was driven by a post-pandemic upgrade cycle and mass-market affordability, this year’s rebound is proving more fragile.”
-Amber Liu, Research Manager,Canalys
Right behind Samsung was Apple with an 18% first-quarter market share. In February, the tech giant released its latest lower-priced iPhone, the iPhone 16e. The sequel to the iPhone SE (3rd Generation) not only changed the name of the line but it also updated the design of the phone as it was based on the iPhone 14. The Touch ID fingerprint scanner was replaced with Face ID, and the iPhone 16e was given a modern A18 application processor. That is the chip that powers the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. During 2024's first quarter, Apple's market share was 16%.
Samsung shipped the most smartphones during this year's Q1 with Apple close behind. | Image credit-Canalys
Xiaomi's market share of 14% was the same as the market share it reported during the same quarter last year. Oppo and vivo both tied for fourth place with market shares of 8% each during Q1 of this year. For vivo, it was a slight increase from last year's Q1 during which it had a 7% share. Oppo's 8% first-quarter market share was flat with last year's results.
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