Canalys published its preliminary report on the global smartphone market in the third quarter of 2024, and it shows that shipments grew both sequentially and annually. According to the analysts, the continuous replacement cycle from July to September was the main driver as competition became fiercer than ever.
Samsung remained at the top, but narrowly retained the top spot for the third quarter as Apple had the same market share when the percentage was rounded to the whole number.
Xiaomi, Oppo and vivo rounded out the Top 5, but all eyes were on Apple as the US company achieved its highest volume in the third quarter. There was strong demand for the iPhone 15 and the new devices expected to receive Apple Intelligence this month. Still, the main reason for the increase in Apple shipments was the market shift towards premium devices.
The iPhone 16’s performance is expected to help Apple become the leading smartphone company again in the fourth quarter and maintain its momentum into the first half of 2025 once it expands its AI features to more markets such as Europe and China, which will have to wait a little longer.
The market looks healthy as we enter the shopping season, with Diwali in USA on October 31, Singles’ Day in China on November 11 (11.11), Black Friday at the end of November and of course Christmas at the end of the year. .
| Q3 2024 Market share | Q3 2023 Market share | |
| Samsung | 18% | 21% |
| Apple | 18% | 17% |
| Xiaomi | 14% | 13% |
| In return for | 9% | 10% |
| alive | 9% | 8% |
| Others | 32% | 32% |
Canalys pointed out that the smartphone market is improving, but some suppliers still face global demand generation challenges and regulatory hurdles, especially in the European Union.