Apple Inc.’s iPhone dethroned Samsung Electronics Co. devices to become the best-selling smartphone series in 2023, marking the first time South Korea’s largest firm has lost the top rank since 2010. According to IDC, the iPhone accounted for around one-fifth of the global market last year, with nearly 235 million shipments. Samsung, whose shipments fell by double-digits to 226.6 million, finished second, ahead of Chinese device makers such as Xiaomi Corp. While Apple has dominated the holiday quarter in recent years, its year-long surge ahead of Samsung indicates that Apple is weathering an industrywide drop better than competitors.
Apple benefited from aggressive offers that have enticed a shift toward premium devices
Apple benefited from aggressive offers that have enticed a shift toward premium devices. It managed to expand shipments in 2023 despite a lukewarm reception late in the year for the iPhone 15 in China – its biggest international market – where Huawei Technologies Co.’s growing popularity and a widening ban on government use are depressing sales. “While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, stemming from rapid growth in emerging markets, the biggest winner is Apple,” IDC research director Nabila Popal said. “All this despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market. Apple’s ongoing success and resilience is in large part due to the increasing trend of premium devices, which now represent over 20% of the market.”
According to IDC, enticing trade-in offers and interest-free financing have contributed to the upward trend in smartphone prices. Apple was the only player in the worldwide top three to rise, at 3.7%, although it has not been immune to the overall decrease. Sales of the latest-generation iPhone in China are much lower than those of its predecessor, with some analysts anticipating the decline to continue. Part of Apple’s competition in the world’s largest mobile market comes from local tech behemoth Huawei, which recaptured some of the market share it lost due to US sanctions by releasing the Mate 60 Pro smartphone powered by an innovative made-in-China chipset. Apple this week introduced rare discounts on the iPhone in the country, of as much as 5% per handset, as it sought to stem further erosion of sales.