Apple's smartphone shipments fell about 10 percent in the first quarter of 2024, hit by intensifying competition from Android smartphone makers vying for the top spot, they showed on Sunday data from research firm IDC.
Global smartphone shipments rose 7.8 percent to 289.4 million units between January and March, with Samsung, with a 20.8 percent market share, taking the top spot in Apple phone maker.
The iPhone maker's sharp drop in sales comes after its strong performance in the December quarter when it overtook Samsung as the world's No. 1 phone maker. It returns to second place with 17.3 percent market share as Chinese brands such as Huawei gain market share.
Xiaomi, one of China's top smartphone makers, ranked third with a 14.1 percent market share in the first quarter.
South Korea's Samsung, which launched its latest flagship smartphone line, the Galaxy S24 series, earlier this year shipped more than 60 million handsets during the period.
Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones were up 8 percent, compared to last year's Galaxy S23 series in the first three weeks of availability, data provider Counterpoint said earlier.
In the first quarter, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones, down from 55.4 million units it shipped in the same period last year, according to IDC.
Apple's smartphone shipments to China fell 2.1 percent in the final quarter of 2023 from a year earlier.
The drop highlights the challenges the US company faces in its third-largest market as some Chinese companies and government agencies limit employee use of Apple devices, a move that reflects restrictions from the US government on Chinese apps for security reasons.
The Cupertino, California-based company will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, where it will highlight updates to the software that powers iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices.
Investors are watching for updates on AI development at Apple, which has so far been tight-lipped about incorporating AI technology into its devices. The company earlier this year lost the crown as the most valuable company in the world to Microsoft.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
