On January 16th, market research firms IDC and Canalys released their latest reports, stating that Apple will become the world's best-selling smartphone in 2023. This is also the first time Apple has surpassed Samsung to become the best-selling smartphone of the year.
According to IDC data, the global smartphone shipment volume in 2023 was 1.17 billion units, a year-on-year decrease of 3.2%, setting the lowest shipment volume in 10 years. The top five global smartphone manufacturers in 2023 are Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion. In 2023, Apple shipped 234.6 million units, accounting for over 20% of the market share; Samsung's shipment volume is 226.6 million units, with a market share of 19.4%; Xiaomi ranks third in global shipment volume, with a shipment volume of 145.9 million units and a market share of 12.5%; OPPO and Transsion have shipped 100 million and 94.9 million units respectively, with market share of 8.8% and 8.1%, respectively.
IDC stated that the main factors driving Apple's sales growth are the growing trend of high-end devices, as well as trade in discounts and interest free installment payments. According to IDC data, high-end smart devices currently account for over 20% of the market share.
In addition, the decrease in Samsung's shipment volume is partly due to Apple's competition, and also reflects the diversification of the entire Android market.
On the same day, research firm Canalys also released global smartphone shipment data for the full year and fourth quarter of 2023. Data shows that the global smartphone market showed signs of recovery in the fourth quarter of 2023, with shipments increasing by 8% to 320 million units, ending seven consecutive quarters of decline.
According to Canalys data, after the launch of Apple's new iPhone, Apple's market share reached 24% in the fourth quarter of 2023, continuing to lead the world; Samsung had a market share of 17% in the fourth quarter, ranking second; Xiaomi ranked third in terms of shipment volume in the fourth quarter, with a year-on-year growth of over 20%. Transsion and Vivo ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
Canalys Senior Analyst Zhu Jiatao told First Financial reporters that Apple's shipment volume in 2023 surpassed Samsung mainly due to Samsung's decline in sales. In addition, in the Chinese market, Apple's performance in the first half of 2023 remains strong, despite facing more intense market competition starting in the second half of the year.
Zhu Jiatao stated that due to the mild market demand during the holiday season, the market is developing in a positive direction. He believes that products in the mid to low end price range are the main driving force behind the wave of smartphone recovery, while there is also a rebound in demand in emerging markets such as the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. In addition, destocking is a key focus that the smartphone industry needs to continue to pay attention to in 2024.
Canalys predicts that the global smartphone market will grow by 4% in 2024, driven by the recovery of emerging market economies and consumer spending. The restoration of market conditions will further promote market growth, mainly reflected in two aspects: firstly, the impact of supply chain shortages is fading; Secondly, manufacturers and channel providers have largely resolved the high inventory issues they encountered in the previous one to two years, returning to the normal pace of product releases and shipments. The phenomenon of replenishing inventory played a crucial role in the significant recovery of the market in the second half of 2023 and is expected to continue to be an important growth factor in 2024.
Canalys analysis shows that in the past two years, thanks to the robust demand in the high-end smart market, Apple's iPhone has shown strong vitality. However, when the demand for high-end replacement in other major markets such as North America and Europe tends to be stable, Huawei's resurgence in Chinese Mainland and local competition will pose a challenge to Apple's continued growth.
"In the new year, Apple must seek new market growth points and ecosystem advantages to revive the iPhone business," Canalys wrote in the report.
Last September, Apple released a series of new products such as iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, but the market generally expressed concerns about the sales of these new iPhone products. As of September 30, 2023, in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2023, Apple's revenue decreased by 1% year-on-year to $89.5 billion; In the fiscal year 2023, the net sales of iPhones decreased by 2% year-on-year to $200.583 billion.
According to an analyst report from investment bank Jefferies, iPhone sales in China decreased by 30% in the first week of 2024. Jeffrey also predicts that Apple's iPhone sales in China will decrease by 3% year-on-year in 2023. At the beginning of this year, Barclays Bank downgraded Apple's stock rating, predicting multiple risks that Apple will face in the future. In addition to sluggish hardware sales, other risks include the possibility of Apple's services business facing stricter regulatory review challenges.
In response to the weak demand in the smartphone market, Apple China's official website recently launched a rare promotion, reducing the price of its iPhone 15 series products by 500 yuan, including the most expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Regarding Apple's rare promotion, Zhu Jiatao analyzed to First Financial reporters, "This indicates a shift in Apple's attitude." He said that in the past, Apple could be considered the dominant player in the flagship model range, but now under competitive pressure from Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei, Apple is working hard to maintain sales.