Global smartphone shipments experienced a notable increase of nearly 8% in the first quarter, as per preliminary data from International Data Corp. This growth trend marks the third consecutive quarter of shipment growth and signifies the resurgence of Samsung to the top position in the market.
According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, a total of 289.4 million smartphone units were shipped during this period. Samsung reclaimed the leading position by shipping 60.1 million units in the quarter, showing a slight decrease of about 0.7% compared to the previous year. Apple secured the second spot with 50.1 million units shipped, reflecting a decline of 9.6% from the previous year when it held the top position in the final quarter of 2023.
The third and fourth largest smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi and Transsion, experienced significant market share growth of 34% and 85% respectively year over year.
Insights from IDC's research director highlighted that average selling prices of smartphones are on the rise. Consumers are increasingly opting for more expensive devices, anticipating longer usage periods for their purchases.
