Apple has bagged the number one spot in annual smartphone sales for the first time ever – knocking Samsung off the top.
The California-based tech behemoth accounted for 20.1% of global smartphone sales in 2023, shipping 234.6 million handsets, according to numbers from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant, took 19.4% of the market share, selling 226.6 million units. Chinese phone makers Xiaomi, OPPO and Transsion brought up the rear.
In all, 1.17 billion smartphones were sold in 2023, down 3.2% on the previous year – the lowest amount sold in a decade as consumers tighten their belts in the face of economic uncertainty.
Samsung, which until now was the world’s largest maker of smartphones, recently warned of declining profits as it faces stiff competition from cheaper Android models, particularly in China – the largest market.
