Samsung overtakes Apple as iPhones shipment drop in first quarter: Report

A new report from research firm IDC has showed that Apple's smartphone shipments has dropped about 10% as competition by Android phonemakers aiming for the top spot has intensified.

Global smartphone shipment

As per the data released, global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% to 289.4 million units during January-March, with Samsung, at 20.8% market share, clinching the top phone maker spot from Apple.

During the December quarter, Apple overtook Samsung as the world's No.1 phone maker. Now, the iPhone maker with 17.3% market share Apple is in second position. Apple is followed by Xiaomi, one of China's top smartphone makers with a market share of 14.1% during the first quarter.

Samsung that launched its latest flagship smartphone lineup - Galaxy S24 series in the beginning of the year, shipped over 60 million phones during the period. The global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones jumped 8% as against last year's Galaxy S23 series during their first three weeks of availability.

Meanwhile, Apple in the first quarter shipped 50.1 million iPhones, down from 55.4 million units it shipped same period last year. In China, the iPhone maker's shipment shrank 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 from a year earlier.

As per Reuters, the drop underscores the challenges facing the U.S. firm in its third biggest market, as some Chinese companies and government agencies limit employees' use of Apple devices, a measure that mirrors U.S. government restrictions on Chinese apps on security grounds.