Worldwide smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 6.2% year-over-year in 2024 to 1.24 billion units, according to the latest International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
The projected smartphone growth follows two years of steep declines and is fueled by pent-up demand for device upgrades. While 2024 marks a strong rebound, growth is expected to slow to low single digits from 2025 onward, with a 2.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2023-2028, according to IDC.
The research group says that rapid Android growth of 7.6% year-over-year focused in [Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan and China)], Latin America, Middle East and Africa and China, primarily in low end devices, is pivotal to the 6.2% growth this year. In contrast, iOS is expected to grow a modest 0.4% in 2024.
Despite record breaking performance in emerging markets like India, Apple faces challenges in large markets like China, US and Europe. Looking ahead to 2025, IDC says the tides will turn as iOS is expected to grow by 3.1% year-over-year, outpacing Android’s forecasted 1.7% growth over the same period.
