iPhone 15 Pro Max Remains Top-Selling Smartphone Globally, Samsung Galaxy A15 Leads Low-End Market

iPhone 15 Pro Max Remains Top-Selling Smartphone Globally, Samsung Galaxy A15 Leads Low-End MarketAccording to Omdia's "Smartphone Model Market Tracker - Q2 2024," the iPhone 15 Pro Max emerged as the world's best-selling smartphone in the first half of 2024, shipping 21.8 million units

iPhone 15 Pro Max Remains Top-Selling Smartphone Globally, Samsung Galaxy A15 Leads Low-End Market

According to Omdia's "Smartphone Model Market Tracker - Q2 2024," the iPhone 15 Pro Max emerged as the world's best-selling smartphone in the first half of 2024, shipping 21.8 million units. This continues the dominance of the iPhone 14 Pro Max in 2023, marking the second consecutive year of an iPhone Pro Max model leading the market.

The standard iPhone 15 followed closely with 17.8 million units shipped, securing the second position in the most popular smartphone rankings for 2024. The iPhone 15 Pro secured the fourth spot with 16.9 million units shipped. However, the iPhone 15 Plus proved less popular within its series, achieving only 3.7 million units shipped and ranking 28th globally.

Omdia predicts that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely succeed its predecessor as the most sought-after model following its launch on September 20th. This trend is expected to continue despite significant upgrades to the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus compared to their predecessors. Both models will feature the new A18 chipset, completely skipping the A16, powering the upcoming "Apple Intelligence" AI features.

Securing the third position is the Samsung Galaxy A15, with 17.3 million units shipped in the first half of 2024. This $129 4G phone is the most popular low-end smartphone to date, showcasing growth compared to the Samsung Galaxy A14 which shipped 12.4 million units in the first half of 2023.

Meanwhile, the 5G version of this phone, the $199 Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, ranked seventh with 12.2 million units sold. The newly released Samsung S24 Ultra, launched on January 31st, secured the fifth spot in the most popular smartphone rankings with 12.6 million units shipped, surpassing its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which shipped 9.6 million units in the first half of 2023. The success of the latest S24 series might be attributed to Samsung's first introduction of the GalaxyAI feature, potentially attracting previous S series users for upgrades.

The iPhone 13, launched three years ago, achieved 12.5 million units shipped, placing it sixth and outperforming the iPhone 14 by 1.4 million units, which ranked ninth. Priced at around $599, the iPhone 13 likely serves as an entry point for many mid-range phone users into the Apple ecosystem, previously occupied by the iPhone 11.

Finally, ranking eighth and tenth are the ultra-low-end phones Xiaomi 13C and Samsung Galaxy A05, both priced around $80. These phones are remarkably similar, featuring 4G connectivity, the same screen resolution, entry-level 4GB RAM, 50MP and 2MP rear cameras respectively, and 5000mAh batteries.

Omdia predicts that while the first half of 2024 saw significant shipment growth, a decline is anticipated for the second half of the year.

A more detailed analysis of the data, showcasing the performance of phones across different price segments:

High-End Market:

• The iPhone 15 Pro Max continues to dominate, its premium specs and brand influence make it the top choice for consumers.

• The Samsung S24 Ultra exhibits significant growth with its new features and performance upgrades, showcasing Samsung's competitiveness in the high-end market.

• Despite the iPhone 16 series yet to be released, Omdia predicts the iPhone 16 Pro Max to continue leading the high-end market.

Mid-Range Market:

• The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro also perform exceptionally well, indicating an expanding market share for Apple in the mid-range segment.

• The iPhone 13 maintains a high shipment volume, demonstrating the attractiveness of its value-for-money proposition to consumers.

• The rankings reveal fierce competition in the mid-range market, with manufacturers actively introducing new products to fight for market share.

Low-End Market:

• The Samsung Galaxy A15 emerges as the undisputed leader in the low-end smartphone market, highlighting Samsung's dominance in this segment.

• The Xiaomi 13C and Samsung Galaxy A05 also perform well, signifying a significant demand for ultra-low-end products.

• With the widespread adoption and decreasing prices of 5G technology, the low-end market is expected to become even more competitive in the future.

Overall, the smartphone market in the first half of 2024 reflects a diverse landscape, with representative models across different price segments. The high-end market remains dominated by iPhone and Samsung, while the mid-range and low-end markets exhibit fiercer competition as manufacturers strive for breakthroughs.

Omdia's predictions suggest that the smartphone market will continue to grow in the foreseeable future, albeit at a slower pace. With the widespread adoption of 5G technology and the application of artificial intelligence, the future smartphone market will increasingly prioritize innovation and user experience, while brand and price will no longer be the sole determining factors.

Further insights from the data:

• The iPhone 15 Plus performs below expectations, possibly due to its price being too close to the standard version, while its features fall short of the Pro models, creating a dilemma for consumers.

• The success of the Samsung Galaxy A15 indicates a significant demand in the low-end market, where price remains a crucial consideration for consumers.

• With the widespread adoption of 5G technology and the application of artificial intelligence, the future smartphone market will increasingly prioritize innovation and user experience, while brand and price will no longer be the sole determining factors.

This analysis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the smartphone market trends in the first half of 2024, assisting in comprehending the market landscape and future directions.