Apple and Samsung Smartphone Shipments Decline Amidst Rising Competition from China

In the fourth quarter of the year, global smartphone shipments for Apple and Samsung experienced a decline. This downturn is largely attributed to fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, as reported by IDC.

Despite this decline, the overall global smartphone market has shown signs of recovery after two consecutive years of falling numbers. Chinese smartphone companies are rapidly gaining market share by focusing on producing affordable low-end devices and emphasizing growth in their domestic markets.

Nabila Popal, a senior research director at IDC, commented, "While we remain optimistic about continued growth in 2025, the threat of new and increased tariffs from the new US administration has elevated uncertainty across the industry."

During the fourth quarter, Apple saw its global shipments decrease by 4.1%, totaling 76.9 million units. On the other hand, Samsung experienced a smaller drop of 2.7% in shipments, amounting to 51.7 million units. This shift highlights the growing pressure from Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor.

For the year 2024, Apple maintained its position as the leader in the global smartphone market, holding an 18.7% market share, closely followed by Samsung at 18% and Xiaomi at 13.6%.

Looking at the overall performance among the top five smartphone brands, Apple had a slight decline of 0.9% in shipments, while Samsung fell by 1.4%. Conversely, Xiaomi saw impressive growth with an increase of 15.4% in shipments.

Remarkably, Chinese smartphone manufacturers shipped 56% of the total global smartphones in the fourth quarter, marking the highest combined volume recorded for a single quarter. Their strategy of expanding into markets in Europe and Africa, bolstered by competitive low-end and mid-range devices, has been a key factor in their success.

Despite the overall market growth in various regions, there has been a notable decrease in demand for foldable smartphones. Anthony Scarsella, another research director at IDC, noted that even with intensified promotions, consumer interest in foldables has remained flat. As a result, smartphone manufacturers are beginning to shift their research and design investments away from foldable devices.

smartphone, decline, competition