Samsung has regained its position as the world’s top smartphone seller, surpassing Apple, according to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC). The South Korean tech giant sold 60.1 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2023, capturing almost 21% of the market. This was a 5.9% increase from the same period last year and marked the third consecutive quarter of growth in the global smartphone market, indicating a recovery from the sector’s previous decline.
Apple, on the other hand, sold only 50.1 million iPhones, which accounted for just over 17% of the market during this time period. Despite this, Apple’s sales decreased by 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. However, Samsung’s sales only dropped by less than 1%.
Chinese company Xiaomi ranked third in smartphone sales with a huge growth of 33%, while Transsion saw an even larger increase of 85% in sales to become fourth place with 28.5 million units sold in total. Ryan Reith, Vice President of IDC’s Global Consumer Devices and Mobility Tracking team, predicted that major smartphone companies will continue to gain market share while smaller brands will compete for position as the recovery continues.
Nabila Popal, research director at IDC also added that there is a shift in power among the top five companies in the market and this trend is likely to continue as companies adjust their strategies in a post-recovery world.
