Apple beats Samsung in global phone shipments for the first time, with 234.6 million iPhones sold in 2023

In perhaps surprising news, the Apple has gained the number one spot for global smartphone shipments in 2023, dethroning Samsung to second place.

This is the first time Samsung have not been in pole position since 2010 - well over a decade ago.

In fact, Apple were not even in the top 5 in 2010. Nokia was in 1st place, with Samsung in 2nd, followed by LG, ZTE and BlackBerry (RIM). However, Samsung is the only company to consistently appear in the top 5 since 2010 - an impressive feat in itself.

The new report comes from IDC Tracker, who measure quarterly results of global phone shipments.

According to the report, Apple shipped an impressive 234.6 million smartphones in 2023, a 3.6% increase from the 226.3 million shipped in 2022.

On the other hand, Samsung saw a sizable 13.6% decrease, from 262.2 million in 2022, to 226.6 million in 2023.

This places Apple with a 20.1% market share in 2023, followed by Samsung in second place with 19.4%.

The iPhone’s impressive rise in 2023 can be attributed to an increase in premium devices, with the category now representing a 20% global market share.

Aggressive trade-in offers, including from major UK networks such as Vodafone, EE, O2 and Vodafone, have certainly played a part in the rise of iPhone sales. Furthermore, Apple’s own 0% interest free financing for new devices has helped push the margins further, with many now opting to buy outright instead of signing a contract.

The report does note that Samsung’s fall is not necessarily linked to Apple’s rise. The Android market is becoming increasingly fractured, with several other manufacturers, particularly from China, taking a larger slice of the pie. These include the likes of Xiaomi, Honor, OnePlus and Google.

In 5th place, Transsion was the brand that saw the largest growth, with a huge 30.8% increase over 2022 for the newcomer. The Chinese company is relatively unknown in Western markets, but shipped 94.9 million phones in 2023. Founded 18 years ago in 2006, Transsion has positioned itself firmly within emerging markets, including much of Asia and Africa.

Overall, 2023 was the lowest year for phones shipped globally in a decade, with a 3.2% decrease, from 1.21 billion in 2022, to 1.17 billion in 2023. The decline can be attributed to chip shortages earlier in the year. However, shipments did pick up in the latter half of the year, with a full recovery expected in 2024.