Apple overtakes Samsung as global smartphone leader

• Published On: 14 April 2025 at 19:34

According to data released Monday by Counterpoint Research, Apple claimed the top spot in worldwide smartphone sales for the first quarter of 2024, fuelled by strong demand for the iPhone 16 and rising sales in regions such as Japan and India.

Despite flat or dropping iPhone sales in the United States, Europe, and China, the tech giant snagged 19% of the market, edging out rival Samsung, which controlled 18%.

The milestone demonstrates Apple's endurance in emerging regions, despite facing challenges in China, where local competitor Huawei and the lack of AI features in its iPhones have hampered demand.

Meanwhile, International Data Corporation recorded a tiny 1.5% increase in global smartphone shipments, attributing some of Apple's success to stockpiling efforts to avoid future tariffs under former US President Donald Trump's trade policy.

Following the reports, Apple's shares rose 3.5%, indicating investor optimism amid persistent trade turbulence. Trump's recent decision to exempt cellphones from reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports brought temporary comfort, prompting a rise in tech markets. However, researchers warn that reliance on Chinese manufacturing is still a concern.

"The tariff exemption offers a narrow window for U.S. companies to mitigate disruptions," said Ryan Reith, IDC's vice president of device monitoring. "Brands must prioritise maximising production and shipments while the pause lasts."

Earlier this year, Apple booked cargo flights to transport 600 tonnes of iPhones—up to 1.5 million units—from India to the United States, in a planned manoeuvre to avoid expected duties. The move shows Apple's efforts to diversify its supply chain in the midst of rising trade tensions between the United States and China, which have roiled global markets and exacerbated inflation concerns.

According to Counterpoint, Xiaomi remains in third place internationally, after only Vivo and OPPO. The research group warned of a potential market fall in 2024 owing to tariff uncertainties, but Apple's agile logistics and emerging-market gains have so far outweighed the hurdles.

The iPhone maker's success stands in stark contrast to its problems in China, where Huawei's rise and customer demand for AI-enabled smartphones have undermined its supremacy. Apple's focus on India, its third-largest market, has been vital, with local production and aggressive marketing driving record sales.