Apple Passes Samsung to Become the Industry Leader in Smartphone Manufacturing

For more than a decade, Samsung has been the leading smartphone manufacturer in the world. But Apple has overthrown the South Korean company from the top spot after 12 years of dominance.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) released data showing that Apple sold 234.6 million smartphones in 2023, or slightly more than a fifth of the total smartphone market (20.1%). Comparatively, Samsung sold 226.6 million units, or 19.4% of the market.

“Apple is currently leading the smartphone market for 2023; the last time a company other than Samsung held that position was in 2010,” according to IDC. “An all-time high market share for Apple and a first time at the top drove a sort of shifting of power at the top of the largest consumer electronics market.”

Overall, smartphone sales fell 3.2% on an annual basis, according to IDC. The September release of the iPhone 15 appears to have increased Apple’s sales. A larger “increasing trend of premium devices,” along with Apple’s interest-free financing plans and options to trade in an old iPhone for a discounted price on a newer model, were mentioned in the IDC report.

With the rise of manufacturers like OnePlus, Honor, and Google, Samsung is facing more competition in the Android market.

The fierce rivalry in the smartphone market is further highlighted by the overall change in the top rankings, according to Ryan Reith, group vice president of IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. “Apple undoubtedly contributed to Samsung’s decline in ranking, but the Android market as a whole is becoming more diverse.”