The global smartphone market is gradually recovering, with third quarter performance reaching its highest since the pandemic. According to Canalys, companies shipped nearly 310 million units, the best result since July-September 2021.
Samsung remained the top-selling OEM in the third quarter, but its lead actually narrowed. Apple was just one point behind, while third place Xiaomi was just four points behind the leader.
Even though Samsung streamlined its entry-level lineup, its market share declined by 2 points. Apple is close to taking first place, driven by the debut of the iPhone 16 series.
Canalys pointed out that Apple was successful in shipping older products such as iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 to the Indian market, which further improved its market share. Apple is expected to take first place in Q4 2024, but the gap will be smaller than usual due to delays in Apple Intelligence.
| company | Shipments in Q3 2024 (in millions) |
Q3 2024 market share |
Shipments in Q3 2023 (in millions) |
Q3 2023 market share |
annual change |
| samsung | 57.5 | 19% | 58.6 | 20% | -2% |
| apple | 54.5 | 18% | 50.0 | 17% | +9% |
| xiaomi | 42.8 | 14% | 41.5 | 14% | +3% |
| Oppo | 28.6 | 9% | 26.4 | 9% | +8% |
| in vivo | 27.2 | 9% | 22.0 | 7% | +24% |
| others | 99.4 | 32% | 95.9 | 33% | +4% |
| total | 309.9 | 100% | 294.6 | 100% | 5% |
Chinese companies Xiaomi, Oppo and vivo have taken a different approach to increase their shipments. While Xiaomi relied on its open market presence and branded stores, Oppo rebranded its A3 series and found success in Southeast Asia in the $100-$200 price range.
The vivo V40 lineup can be a little confusing at first, but five different midrangers with similar names and looks have allowed the company to increase its presence in multiple markets.
Regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America saw the biggest increases in shipments. Outperformed the overall market due to increased price competition and channel incentives in the entry-level segment. Canalys warned that while affordable handsets may be vital to sales and market share, inflationary pressures are limiting the company’s profitability.
Forecasts for 2025 remain cautiously optimistic. In mature markets such as the US, China, and Western Europe, the premium segment will grow through AI-driven devices. Companies like vivo and Honor are expanding their mid-range portfolios through innovative channel strategies such as pop-up stores and carrier partnerships to capture upgrades from the $100-$200 price segment.
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