As per the latest report from market research firm Canalys, Apple came closest that it ever did in overtaking Samsung as the world’s leading smartphone vendor.
With Record Q3 2024 Shipments, Apple Ties with Samsung’s 18% Market Share
As per the market research firm, third quarter of 2024 saw Apple reaching a record-high shipment volume for a Q3 period, capturing 18% of the global smartphone market share, matching Samsung’s 18% stake.
Though Samsung defended its top position by a whisker, it saw a dip of 3% in yoy market share. On the flipside, the Cupertino giant Apple saw the market share increase by 1% as compared to previous year. This marks the narrowest margin between the two smartphone brands in a third quarter to date.
As per Canalys analyst, Runar Bjørhovde, the stellar performance of Apple can be attributed to the sustained demand for the iPhone 15 series and continued sales of legacy models. He said that “Apple achieved its highest third-quarter volume to date and has never been closer to leading the global smartphone market in a Q3 than now”.
Marking fourth consecutive quarter of growth, the overall global smartphone market grew by 5% year-on-year in Q3 2024. As per the market research company, the expansion is driven primarily by resilient demand in emerging economies and the early stages of a replacement cycle in mature markets such as North America, China, and Europe.
Further adding to the success is the shift of market towards more premium devices and ongoing refresh cycle of smartphones purchased during the pandemic. The research noted that this trend has particularly benefited Apple in its stronghold regions of North America and Europe.
iPhone 16 Series Set to Drive Growth into 2025
As per Canalys, not just the recent present but the future also seems bright for the company since with its upcoming iPhone 16 series, Apple will maintain its strong momentum through the end of 2024 and into the first half of 2025. Further driving the growth would be the expansion of Apple Intelligence into new markets and support for additional languages.
As the holiday shopping season approaches, both Apple and Samsung are poised to compete fiercely for consumers who have postponed upgrading their devices in anticipation of deals during major events like Black Friday.
