A new report from market research firm Omdia highlights steady growth in the global smartphone market. In the fourth quarter of 2024, worldwide smartphone shipments reached 328 million units. This marks a 2.8% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The industry has now seen five consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth.
Global Smartphone Market Shows Steady Growth in 2024
For the entire year, total smartphone shipments hit 1.223 billion units. This represents a 7.1% increase from 1.142 billion units in 2023. The numbers indicate a strong recovery after previous supply chain and economic challenges.
Xiaomi Leads in Growth Among Top Brands
Xiaomi showed the most impressive growth among the world’s top five smartphone brands. The company shipped 169 million smartphones in 2024, surpassing its 2023 numbers by more than 20 million units.
Omdia noted that Xiaomi’s performance exceeded expectations. The success was largely due to the Mi 15 series and Redmi K80 series, both launched in the fourth quarter. These models were well received in China and expanded into international markets, particularly in Africa and Latin America.
Apple Maintains Top Position Despite Decline
Apple remained the world’s leading smartphone brand in 2024, but its shipments declined slightly. The iPhone 16 series pushed global iPhone shipments to 77.1 million units in Q4. However, this was 1 million units fewer than the 78.1 million shipped in Q4 2023.
For the full year, Apple shipped 225 million smartphones. This was a 1.4% decline from the 229 million units recorded in 2023. Despite the drop, Apple still led the market, staying ahead of Samsung.
Samsung Faces Slight Decline
Samsung remained a key player but saw a small decrease in shipments. In Q4 2024, it shipped 51.9 million smartphones. Total shipments for the year reached 223 million units, a 1.1% drop compared to 2023. Increasing competition from brands like Xiaomi and Transsion affected its market share.
Other Major Players
Besides Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi, other brands also performed well. Transsion ranked fourth with 107 million units shipped. Vivo followed closely in fifth place with 101 million units.
Conclusion
The smartphone industry showed strong recovery in 2024. Apple remained the top brand, despite a slight decline. Xiaomi recorded the fastest growth, driven by strong sales in China and expanding markets. Samsung faced challenges but held a major position. Transsion and Vivo maintained solid rankings.
As 2025 begins, competition remains intense. Brands will continue to innovate and expand into new markets to maintain growth.