Samsung has been the world's largest smartphone brand for more than a decade. However, its reign came to an end last year, as Apple overtook Samsung as the world's largest smartphone brand in 2023. The iPhone maker shipped 234.6 million smartphones and held a 20.1% share of the market.
According to the The latest figures from market research firm IDCSamsung shipped 226.6 million Galaxy smartphones in 2023, representing 19.4% market share. This represents a 13.6% decline compared to its shipments from 2022 (262.2 million). Samsung has had a bad year overall, but its smartphone business has performed well in terms of profits, thanks to the company's focus on high-end smartphones like the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Z Fold 5. The overall smartphone market has declined. 3.2% in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, 2024 could be a good year for Samsung, as it is said to be confident of shipping more Galaxy S24 units than the Galaxy S23 series last year. The company is also expected to launch the significantly improved Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 later this year.
It is commendable to see Apple increasing its shipments by 3.7% despite it being a bad year for the smartphone market. The company shipped the iPhone 15 series with a new display design for the non-Pro models and a titanium design for the Pro models in the lineup.
Xiaomi was the third largest smartphone brand in 2023, with a 12.5% market share and shipments exceeding 146 million. Its shipments also fell by 4.7% compared to the previous year. Even OPPO's shipments fell by nearly 10% in 2023, ranking fourth overall. Transsion, the company that owns smartphone brands Infinix, Itel and Tecno, saw a massive 30.8% jump in shipments. The company shipped nearly 95 million smartphones in 2023.
Ryan Reith, group vice president of IDC's Global Mobility and Consumer Device Tracking division, said:The overall shift in rankings at the top of the market further highlights the intensity of competition within the smartphone market. Apple certainly played a role in Samsung's downgrade, but the overall Android space is diversifying within itself. Huawei is back and making rapid inroads within China, and brands like OnePlus, Honor, Google and others are launching very competitive devices in the lower price range of high-end devices. Foldable devices and growing discussions about smartphone AI capabilities are gaining more attention. Overall, the smartphone space is headed toward a very interesting time.”
The Galaxy S23 series has been a huge success, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its best version. You can get her long-term review in the video below.
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