The smartphone market has shown record growth since 2021: Vivo and Apple rose the most, while Samsung lost the market

According to the results of the third quarter, as calculated by Canalys experts, 309.9 million smartphones were supplied to the world market, which is 5% more than in the same period of the previous year. It was also the smartphone market’s best third quarter since 2021, as the pandemic fueled demand for personal communications devices. Samsung remains the leader in the smartphone market, but it has reduced shipments by 2%.

As noted by Canalys, Samsung’s ability to ship 57.5 million smartphones in the third quarter was largely determined by its diverse lineup of entry-level models. Over the year, the Korean giant reduced its market share from 20 to 19%.

In second place was Apple, which increased its share from 18 to 19%, and iPhone shipments increased by 9% to a record 54.5 million units. The debut of the iPhone 16 family turned out to be very successful, since the minimal hardware differences between the base line and Pro models in countries with growing economies pushed buyers to purchase Apple’s new products. Canalys representatives also believe that the Apple Intelligence feature set is also popular, and the assembly of the iPhone in India has begun to facilitate faster delivery of new products from this brand to the US and Europe. If Apple Intelligence were distributed around the planet more quickly, then this would have a positive effect on the dynamics of iPhone shipments.

Xiaomi ranks third in the global smartphone market based on the results of the third quarter with a stable share of 14%, while this Chinese brand increased its supply volumes of core products by 3% to 42.8 million units. The company is trying to focus on mid- and high-end models to improve profitability.

Oppo is also stable with a 9% share, but it was able to increase its shipment volumes by 8% to 28.6 million smartphones. This was largely due to the company’s activity in the price segment from $100 to $200 and in the market of Southeast Asian countries. In this region, Oppo increased its supply volumes by 30%. Vivo, in fifth place, increased its share from 7 to 9%, and its shipment volumes by 24% to 27.2 million. About a third of all smartphone shipments came from all other smartphone brands that did not make it into the top five market participants. They increased supply volumes by 4% to 99.4 million units.

Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region showed the most significant growth in smartphone shipments (10%), followed by China with 4% growth. Europe and Latin America showed almost no change in smartphone shipments year-on-year, North America added only 1%, and Africa showed twice as much growth. The Middle East, with its turbulent geopolitical situation, fell by 1%.

In markets with growing economies, competition through price wars appears unlikely as regional inflation continues to be high. In countries with developed economies, growth in sales of expensive smartphones will be driven by competition in the field of artificial intelligence. Vivo and Honor will focus their efforts on attracting those who currently own smartphones costing between $100 and $200 to upgrade to more expensive models.