Apple overtook Samsung as the top global smartphone manufacturer in 2023, according to preliminary data from market research firm IDC. If the data is accurate, it is the first time Samsung has lost the top spot to another company in 13 years. In 2013, Nokia held the number one spot, Samsung was second, and Apple didn't even feature in the top five.
IDC bases its analyses on market share of global smartphone shipments across the year. According to the report, Apple took a 20.1% market share, while Samsung took 19.4% of the share.
Apple was also the only company in the top three to achieve positive growth year-on-year, increasing shipments from 226.3 million units to 234.6 million units.
"While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, stemming from rapid growth in emerging markets, the biggest winner is clearly Apple," said Nabila Popal, research director with IDC's Worldwide Tracker team. "Not only is Apple the only player in the Top 3 to show positive growth annually, but also bags the number 1 spot annually for the first time ever. All this despite facing increased regulatory challenges and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its largest market."
Samsung's drop in rank is interpreted as only partly down to strong sales of Apple's iPhone 14 models and the company's debut of the iPhone 15 series, while diversification in the Android market is also said to be a factor. Other impacting variables are said to include Huawei's resurgence in China, and brands like OnePlus, Honor, Google, and others launching competitive devices in the lower price range of the high-end market.
Overall, the smartphone market declined by 3.2% to 1.17 billion units shipped across the year, driven largely by macroeconomic challenges and elevated inventory early in the year. However, a growth spurt in the latter stages of 2023 suggests the market could see a recovery this year, with foldable devices and increased interest in AI capabilities also said to be gaining traction.
Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products.
Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way.
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027.
Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production.
Apple supplier Foxconn has...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season.
Note: MacRumors is...
It would be nice to see the breakdown according to smartphone models shipped...
considering how many more models Samsung offers, especially in the budget range, it's still a pretty impressive feat that apple was able to outsell them
Overall, the smartphone market declined by 3.2% to 1.17 billion units shipped across the year,
Peak smartphone is already here.
This is why Apple is pushing higher and higher priced iPhones. In economics, companies in a declining market will increase the average selling price to make up for declining or stagnating volume.
So if we see headlines like "iPhone is selling worse this year", it doesn't mean much. It's expected. We need to look at average selling price to see how much money Apple is actually making instead of volume.
Why do *you* need to look at the average selling price? As a consumer that really shouldn't be of any concern to you. If iPhone is selling lower numbers in one year over the last, then it is just selling lower numbers. Unless you're a shareholder, that should be the end of the story for you.
I believe it goes back to the adage "An argument should not only be correct, but it should also be correct for the right reasons".
Many people here like to equate lower smartphone sales with the implication that Apple is no longer innovating, lagging behind or doomed because they are making less money. The reality is that even as smartphone upgrade cycles slow, Apple has been able to mitigate this by way of higher prices, more accessories and more services. The end result is improved profitability, even as they sell fewer units overall.
In short, Apple is moving from selling iPhones to selling to people with iPhones. It's an impressive pivot that completely goes against the popular narrative and it works because Apple has its own ecosystem and its own flourishing App Store, unlike Samsung and other android handset manufacturers.
