Apple defies the trend, Samsung's share shrinks! Canalys releases global smartphone market report for Q3 2024

Apple defies the trend, Samsung's share shrinks! Canalys releases global smartphone market report for Q3 2024Due to the National Day holiday, reports from various data companies on the third quarter of 2024 smartphone sales were released a bit later than usual. But late doesn't mean non-existent

Apple defies the trend, Samsung's share shrinks! Canalys releases global smartphone market report for Q3 2024

Due to the National Day holiday, reports from various data companies on the third quarter of 2024 smartphone sales were released a bit later than usual. But late doesn't mean non-existent. Canalys has finally released its data. Canalys reported a 5% year-on-year growth in global smartphone shipments during the third quarter, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth. Regrettably, Canalys hasn't provided specific shipment figures, only brand rankings and market shares.

The biggest surprise this quarter was Samsung's year-on-year decline, almost losing the top spot globally. Meanwhile, Apple, which many had predicted would decline, saw growth. This suggests that Apple's decline was limited to the Chinese market only, and its global sales are still strong.

Let's take a look at the rankings:

• Champion: Samsung, market share 18%, down three percentage points year-on-year;

• Runner-up: Apple, market share 18%, up one percentage point year-on-year;

• Third place: Xiaomi, market share 14%, up one percentage point year-on-year;

• Fourth: OPPO, market share 9%, down one percentage point year-on-year;

• Fifth: vivo, market share 9%, down one percentage point year-on-year.

It's unclear why Canalys didn't provide specific shipment figures or year-on-year growth rates this time. However, comparing the current shares to the same period last year, we see that only Apple and Xiaomi have increased their market shares among the top five, while the other three brands have all declined. Additionally, Transsion has dropped out of the global top five, likely ranking sixth. It's unclear what has happened at Transsion.

More noteworthy is the fact that Apple and Xiaomi have both gained one percentage point in market share while OPPO and vivo have both lost one percentage point. Globally, Samsung's performance has been slightly underwhelming, while Apple has exceeded expectations.

Of course, we need to talk about Xiaomi, which is continuing to grow globally and is closing the gap with Apple. It's also steadily maintaining its lead over other Chinese brands. This is due to Xiaomi's growth not only in overseas markets but also in China, where it has remained unaffected and continues to grow.

Overall, the global smartphone market in the third quarter of 2024 exhibits a positive growth trend, but competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Apple's strong performance is remarkable, while Samsung's declining market share requires attention. Xiaomi's continued growth highlights its powerful competitiveness. How the global smartphone market will evolve in the future remains to be seen.