United States: For the first time in a 12-year period, Apple has surpassed Samsung to take the lead in the global smartphone market.
The International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that last year, the phone giant based in America accounted for over one-fifth of all phones shipped.
Chinese phone manufacturers Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion trailed behind Samsung, which held a 19.4 percent market share.
Sales of smartphones have decreased because so many people upgraded during the pandemic.
Nearly 1.2 billion smartphones were sold last year, according to IDC, a decrease of more than 3 percent from the year before. Due to the economic downturn and rising interest rates, many consumers have tightened their purse strings, resulting in the lowest amount sold in a decade. Experts are anticipating a market recovery this year.
Nevertheless, Apple, which sold more than 234 million phones in 2017, was deemed “the biggest winner” by the IDC.
“Apple is the only company in the Top 3 to show positive growth every year, and it also takes the top spot for the first time ever,” stated Ms. Nabila Popal of IDC.
“All this despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market,” Ms. Popal added.
After being prohibited from purchasing chips manufactured with US technology due to allegations that the company poses a national security risk to the US government, Huawei has recently made progress in producing its own chips.
Interest-free financing options and offers to trade in outdated models are also boosting demand for high-end gadgets like Apple.
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