According to Canalys’ latest research, the global smartphone market grew by 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching a total of 330 million units. While this means the fifth consecutive quarter of growth in the market, it was noted that there was a serious slowdown in the growth rate. Apple took the lead, reaching 23 percent market share, with its strong performance in the traditional new product launch period. Samsung ranked second with 16 percent market share but experienced a decline.
While Xiaomi maintained its third place with a 13 percent market share, it was the only brand among the top three brands to record annual growth. The brand’s increasing effectiveness in the local market and globalization efforts were effective in this success. TRANSSION and vivo ranked fourth and fifth respectively, benefiting from the recovery of emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
Global smartphone shipments reached 1.22 billion units in 2024, with a 7 percent annual increase. Apple managed to stay ahead of Samsung for the second year in a row.
“Apple has strengthened its global position by continuing its growth in emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asia in 2024,” said Canalys Analyst Le Xuan Chiew. Chiew stated that Apple is expanding its channel reach in the Asia-Pacific region and seizing growth opportunities with active marketing strategies. However, competition in developed markets and extended device replacement cycles have limited growth momentum. In 2025, Apple is expected to grow with its renewed product portfolio, hardware upgrades and wider use of Apple Intelligence.
Canalys Senior Analyst Toby Zhu stated that the main driver behind global smartphone growth in 2024 is the popularity of mass-market products. Despite rising supply chain costs throughout the year, Android brands such as Xiaomi, TRANSSION and vivo achieved double-digit growth rates thanks to extensive channel networks and effective inventory management. Zhu also stated that demand for mid-segment devices remained under pressure as consumers in emerging markets turned to affordable products. In mature markets, a trend towards higher average sales prices was observed.
Stating that it will be difficult to repeat the performance of 2024 in 2025, Zhu said that last year’s growth was largely due to stock renewal and macroeconomic recovery in certain markets. However, demand fluctuations and macro uncertainties remain significant challenges for the market. It is predicted that brands will focus on high segment products and aim to increase their competitiveness with artificial intelligence integration and innovative products.