The global smartphone market continues to grow. A Chinese manufacturer threatens Apple’s position

According to agency Canalys, the global mobile phone market is growing, registering its third consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth, with smartphone sales in Q2 2024 up 12% year-on-year and reaching a total of 288 million units.

South Koreans from Samsung remain the leaders, but losing 3 percent of the total market (18% market share in Q2 2024, compared to 21% in Q2 2023). As usual in most quarters where they don’t launch new models, Apple is once again in second place with 16% of total sales (compared to 17% in the same period last year). However, Xiaomi came very close to Apple, with the Chinese company capturing no less than 15% of the smartphone market sold in Q2 2024 (compared to 13% last year). Incidentally, Chinese manufacturers complete this top 5: Vivo (9%) and Transsion (9%).

Vivo has likely enjoyed increased popularity during the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany, being the official smartphone manufacturer of the competition. Instead, the Chinese manufacturer Transsion Holdings operates lesser-known brands such as Tecno, Infinix or Itel.

Again, the generative AI capabilities of devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6 or the Galaxy S24 series, but also the announcements made by Apple at WWDC about Apple Intelligence are cited as reasons that have revived the mobile phone market, increasing public interest for the purchase of new models.

Source: Canalys