Apple loses its crown while Chinese brands gain ground
The top five smartphone brands in the global market in 2024's first quarter.
The global smartphone market saw a power shift in the first quarter, with Apple losing its top spot while Chinese brands claim a larger piece of the pie, according to research firm International Data Corp (IDC).
Samsung, the long time leader, reclaimed the top spot with a 20.8-percent market share while Apple had a 9.6-percent slump compared to the year before, with market share down to 17.3 percent market share.
The slump suggests a possible saturation in the high-end segment where Apple traditionally dominates.
In the period, global smartphone sales increased 7.8 percent year over year to 289.4 million units, signalling a recovery after several years' slump.
During the Google Cloud Next 24 conference, Oppo announced adoption of Google Gemini generative AI tools in Oppo and OnePlus brands.
Chinese brands are rapidly gaining ground.
Xiaomi saw a massive 33.8 percent growth, capturing 14.1 percent of the market. Transsion, a Chinese player powerful in emerging markets, especially in Africa, also grew rapidly to gain a 9.9-percent market share, followed by Oppo as the No. 5 top brand with an 8.7-percent share, according to IDC.
This trend is likely to continue as Chinese brands continue to refine offerings and expand their reach.
During the recent Google Cloud Next 24 conference, Oppo announced adoption of Google Gemini generative AI tools in Oppo and OnePlus brands, capturing the latest AI wave.
IDC expects Samsung and Apple to maintain their hold on the high end of the market, but they face the resurgence of Huawei in China, as well as notable gains from Xiaomi, Transsion, Oppo/OnePlus, and vivo.
