Apple Nabs First Place Ranking in the Smartphone Market in 2023, Topping out Samsung

For the first time since 2010, Samsung has been dethroned from the top of the smartphone market in 2023. Recent reports show that for the very first time, Apple has gained the top spot, signalling a power shift for the last year.

It’s been determined by both IDC and Canalys that Apple has shipped more smartphones than Samsung throughout 2023. In a Business Wire post, Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker team states, “The biggest winner is clearly Apple.”

IDC’s report shows a decline in global smartphone shipments. 2023 saw a 3.2 percent dip year-over-year to 1.17 billion units. The report claims “macroeconomic challenges” and “elevated inventory early in the year” contributed to 2023’s results. However, the market was still driven by Apple, which showed an all-time high market share among competitors. In fact, IDC states that Apple was the only manufacturer in the Top 3 that saw positive growth annually.

Canalys echoes similar results. “For the first time, Apple pipped Samsung to become the year’s top vendor in terms of shipments, though both rounded to 20% shares,” the report states. It’s said that the positioning of the iPhone 15 series led to Apple reaching a broader range of customers in 2023. The report goes on to theorize that Huawei’s growth, especially within mainland China, may challenge Apple in the future.

“Huawei’s improving strength and looming local competition in mainland China will challenge Apple to sustain its growth trajectory in mainland China while high-end replacement demand in other major markets, such as North America and Europe, is levelling off.” Other Android manufacturers including OnePlus, Honor, and Google are also poised to challenge Apple’s position.

2023 marks the first year that Samsung failed to hold the top spot in the rankings. For 13 years the company has remained dominant. In 2010, when it achieved the number one spot, Samsung beat the current top-selling brand, Nokia.

Both IDC and Canalys believe that 2024 will see the smartphone market bounce back, with on-year growth for the global market. This means Apple may have its work cut out for it if it wishes to maintain its position in 2024.