Samsung reclaims top spot, surpassing Apple in smartphone market

Samsung Electronics claimed the top spot in the global smartphone market during the first quarter of this year, surpassing Apple in the U.S. in just two quarters.

According to market intelligence firm IDC on Friday, Samsung Electronics shipped 60.1 million smartphones in the first quarter of this year, securing a 20.8 percent market share. Apple shipped 50.1 million units, holding a 17.3 percent share, relinquishing the top spot to Samsung in global smartphone shipments, a position it held in the fourth quarter of last year. In the fourth quarter of last year, Apple commanded a 24.7% share, while Samsung held a 16.3% share. Following Samsung and Apple in the first quarter of this year, Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi (14.1%), Transsion (9.9%), and Oppo (8.7%) ranked third through fifth in market share.

The gap between Samsung and Apple is also noteworthy. In the first quarter of this year, the difference between the two companies was 3.5 percentage points, up from 1.8 percentage points in the same period last year (Samsung 22.5%, Apple 20.7%).

The rebound was attributed to the sales performance of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, launched in January, and the popularity of Galaxy AI, a device equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). On the other hand, Apple is said to have suffered from a slump in the Chinese market and a U.S. government antitrust lawsuit.


변종국 기자 bjk@donga.com