After years of struggling, the global smartphone market is finally growing again. Samsung and Apple still top the list, but did not really see their sales grow: these were mainly the Chinese brands.
After 2023 was recorded as the weakest year of the decade for smartphone sales, the market rebounded last year. In 2024, global smartphone sales will grow by 4 percent, reports market researcher Counterpoint. The largest telephone sellers in 2024 were again Samsung and Apple.
Samsung accounted for 19 percent of the total number of phones sold. The most, but less than in the two years before, when Samsung had 21 and 20 percent market share. Apple is just behind Samsung with 18 percent market share, also slightly less than the 19 percent of the previous year.
Chinese brands in particular are seeing growth
The growth of the market is mainly due to Chinese brands. Xiaomi in particular grew rapidly and sold 12 percent more phones in 2024 than in 2023, good for third place with a 14 percent market share. Oppo saw its share decline but still managed to retain its fourth place and Vivo closes the top five, with a market share of around 8 percent, just like Oppo. Vivo actually saw its sales increase in 2024.
Smartphone sales grew, especially in Europe, Latin America and China. Samsung benefited from strong sales of its Galaxy S24 line and its lower-priced A line. The S24 line outperformed previous S lines as the first Samsung phone with the AI label. Apple was less successful in this, because the AI functions of iOS are not yet available in many countries and languages.
Generative AI remains the driving force
Xiaomi owes its growth to a greater emphasis on premium phones and an expansion into more countries. All in all, the entire top five had the same market share as in 2023, because some smaller brands also saw growth. Huawei, Honor and Motorola in particular grew strongly in 2024. AI will remain the strongest selling point for new smartphones in the coming years, Counterpoint believes. The market researcher expects that by 2028, nine out of ten phones above $250 will contain generative AI functions.
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Source: www.bright.nl
