Samsung Finally Gets Dethroned By Apple In Smartphone Shipments For 2023; Becomes New Worldwide Leader, Says New Data

wccftech.com:

A slump in smartphone demand did not shake Apple’s resolve or the sales momentum of its iPhones because, according to the latest data, the California-based giant achieved one milestone that it took the firm 13 years to fulfill ever since it launched the first iPhone, and that is overtaking its closest adversary, Samsung, in global smartphone shipments.

While unexpected surprises are waiting in 2024, Apple dominated various markets in 2023 by shipping an estimated 234.6 million units, according to data published by IDC. The latest figure represents a 3.7 percent growth compared to last year, where Apple shipped an estimated 226.3 million units. In comparison, Samsung shipped 226.6 million units last year, dropping from 262.2 million units it attained in 2022 due to a global economic slowdown, as consumers prioritize other expenses rather than upgrading to expensive or mid-range handsets.

Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team, says that Apple achieved its new position while facing competition from Huawei, as the Chinese smartphone maker has just mounted a comeback in its home market, causing trouble for the competition.

“While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, stemming from rapid growth in emerging markets, the biggest winner is clearly Apple. Not only is Apple the only player in the Top 3 to show positive growth annually, but also bags the number 1 spot annually for the first time ever. All this despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market. Apple’s ongoing success and resilience is in large part due to the increasing trend of premium devices, which now represent over 20% of the market, fueled by aggressive trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans.”

This year, Apple offered more exclusive upgrades with the iPhone 15 launch, with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max being the more attractive