According to the latest Omdia smartphone preliminary shipment report, global shipments reached 328.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, marking a 2.9% increase.
For the full year 2024, total shipments climbed to 1,223.6 million units, a 7.2% increase from 1,141.9 million units in 2023 signaling a steady recovery for the industry, according to the research group.
Apple led global smartphone shipments in quarter four of 2024, as is typical for the fourth quarter, following the launch of the new iPhone 16 series, according to Media. The iPhone 16 lineup, released in the third quarter, drove shipments to 77.1 million, notes the research group.
While the iPhone 16 series outperformed its predecessor in quarterly shipments, this still marked a decline from the previous year. For the full year of 2024, Apple shipped 225.9 million units, down 1.4% from 229.1 million in 2023. Despite this fall, Apple remained the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer of the year, a position it first secured in 2023 after overtaking Samsung.
“Apple is facing difficulties in China, its primary market. Despite the launch of the iPhone 16 series, overall shipments have declined. This is attributed to the increasing lifespan of iPhones, the growing demand for refurbished and used iPhones is impacting shipments of standard or legacy models,” says Jusy Hong, Senior Research Manager at Omdia.
Samsung recorded 51.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing its 2024 total to 222.9 million units, a 1.1% fall from 2023. Samsung is one of the few manufacturers to see overall shipment declines throughout 2024, except for the second quarter, according to Omdia.
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