Canalys: Samsung just edged Apple in a growing Q3 smartphone market
The global smartphone market is slowly healing, reaching its highest Q3 performance since the pandemic. According to Canalys, companies shipped nearly 310 million units, the best result since July-September in 2021.
Samsung remained the best-selling OEM for the third quarter, but its lead really shrank. Apple was just one percentage point behind, while Xiaomi in third is just 4pp behind the leader.
Samsung saw a 2 points decline in market share, even though it managed to streamline its entry-level lineup. Apple got close to first place, driven by the debut of the iPhone 16 series.
Canalys pointed out that Apple managed to ship older units, such as iPhone 13 and iPhone 15, to the Indian market, which further improved the market share. Expectations are that Apple will take first place in Q4 2024, but with a smaller margin than usual due to Apple Intelligence delays.
| Company | Q3 2024 Shipments (in million) | Q3 2024 Market share | Q3 2023 Shipments (in million) | Q3 2023 Market share | Yearly change |
| Samsung | 57.5 | 19% | 58.6 | 20% | -2% |
| Apple | 54.5 | 18% | 50.0 | 17% | +9% |
| Xiaomi | 42.8 | 14% | 41.5 | 14% | +3% |
| Oppo | 28.6 | 9% | 26.4 | 9% | +8% |
| vivo | 27.2 | 9% | 22.0 | 7% | +24% |
| Others | 99.4 | 32% | 95.9 | 33% | +4% |
| Total | 309.9 | 100% | 294.6 | 100% | 5% |
Chinese companies Xiaomi, Oppo and vivo took a different approach to boosting their shipments. Xiaomi relied on its open market presence and brand stores, while Oppo rebranded the A3 series and found success in Southeast Asia in the $100-$200 price segment.
The vivo V40 lineup may be a bit confusing at first, but the five different midrangers with similar names and looks, helped the company boost its presence across multiple markets.
Regions like Asia Pacific and Latin America saw the biggest shipment increases. They outperformed the overall market, driven by increased price competition and channel incentives in the entry-level segment. Canalys warned that affordable phones might be vital for volume and market share, but inflationary pressures limit companies' profitability.
Expectations for 2025 remain cautiously optimistic. Mature markets like the US, China, and Western Europe will see a premium segment growth through AI-driven devices. Companies like vivo and Honor are expanding their mid-range portfolios through innovative channel strategies, including pop-up stores and partnerships with carriers to capture upgrades from the $100-$200 price segment.