According to Canalys research, in the last quarter of 2023, the smartphone market share worldwide grew by 8% compared to the previous year, hitting 319.5 million units. That’s a pretty good sign of things stabilizing and bouncing back. Now, for the whole of 2023, we did see a slight dip of 4% in total shipments, landing at 1.14 billion units compared to 2022.
Guess who stole the show? Apple took the crown for the first time, snagging a 20% market share and shipping a whopping 229.2 million units in 2023. Right on their tail was Samsung, holding steady with 225.4 million units shipped and a 20% market share. Xiaomi clinched the third spot, rocking a 13% market share with 146.4 million units shipped. OPPO and TRANSSION rounded out the top five with 9% and 8% market shares, respectively.
Sanyam Chaurasia, Senior Analyst at Canalys, mentioned that emerging markets played a big role in the recovery, especially in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Those places showed some serious bounce-back starting from the third quarter of 2023. On the flip side, mature markets like Mainland China, Europe, and North America faced some tough times due to lower consumer spending and reduced channel investments.
Apple and Samsung maintain their global market leadership, with Xiaomi securing the third position and Oppo following closely in fourth. The landscape is dynamic, with contenders like vivo and Honor introducing their flagship devices, poised to disrupt the status quo and potentially challenge Transsion for a coveted spot in the Top 5.
| Company | Q4 ’23 shipments (million) | Q4 ’23 Market share | Q4 ’22 shipments (million) | Q4 ’22 Market share | Change |
| Apple | 78.1 | 24% | 73.2 | 25% | 7% |
| Samsung | 53.5 | 17% | 58.3 | 20% | -8% |
| Xiaomi | 41.0 | 13% | 33.2 | 11% | 23% |
| Transsion | 28.5 | 9% | 17.3 | 6% | 65% |
| vivo | 23.9 | 7% | 23.9 | 8% | 0% |
| Others | 94.4 | 30% | 90.9 | 31% | 4% |
| Total | 319.5 | 100% | 296.9 | 100% | 8% |
| Company | 2023 shipments (million) | 2023 Market share | 2022 shipments (million) | 2022 Market share | Change |
| Apple | 229.2 | 20% | 232.2 | 19% | -1% |
| Samsung | 225.4 | 20% | 257.9 | 22% | -13% |
| Xiaomi | 146.4 | 13% | 152.7 | 13% | -4% |
| Oppo | 100.7 | 9% | 113.4 | 10% | -11% |
| Transsion | 92.6 | 8% | 73.1 | 6% | 27% |
| Others | 347.9 | 30% | 364.1 | 31% | -4% |
| Total | 1142.1 | 100% | 296.9 | 100% | -4% |
Toby Zhu, another Senior Analyst at Canalys, spilled the tea on vendor profitability. Despite the overall market going down, vendors saw a boost in profitability. They played it smart by cutting down expenses, focusing on key markets, and dealing with inventory challenges in the first half of 2023. Plus, lower prices for components and chipsets helped them increase profit margins and cook up some competitive products.
Looking ahead to 2024, the smart money focuses on two things: diving into on-device AI for the high-end smartphone market share and ramping up shipments in the mid-to-low-end segments. AI is going to be a game-changer, with Samsung going big on generative AI in its long-term plans. Meanwhile, Chinese champs like Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, and HONOR have already rolled out flagship devices with gen AI features in their home markets.
