Smartphone shipments in 2023 totaled 1.142 billion, the worst in 11 years, Canalys says in its latest market analysis. Apple took the top spot for the first time after a stagnant year in which its main competitor, Samsung, lost 13%.
The holiday season was positive for the sector, with an increase of 8%, a sign of stabilization according to analysts.
The smartphone market has suffered badly, but the recovery in demand in emerging markets has driven the global recovery in the second half of the year, commented Sanyam Chaurasia, senior analyst at Canalys. Latin America, Africa and the Middle East actually saw year-over-year growth in shipments, largely offsetting declines in the rest of the world (Asia Pacific, mainland China, Europe and North America).
Transsion (owner of iTel, Infinix and Tecno) and Xiaomi benefited from the rebound, achieving notable growth in October-December 2023. The increase in demand pushed Transion to fourth place for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Emerging markets will remain a vital battleground for all manufacturers seeking growth as developed regions such as North America and Europe face subdued consumer spending and reduced investment in channels.
The market has declined, but back-stocks are no longer a major problem, and low component prices should allow sellers to support more flexible incentive measures for consumers.
| Agency | Q4 ’23 Shipments (millions) | Q4 ’23 Market share | Q4 ’22 Shipments (millions) | Q4 ’22 Market share | Edit |
| Apple | 78.1 | 24% | 73.2 | 25% | 7% |
| SAMSUNG | 53.5 | 17% | 58.3 | 20% | -8% |
| Xiaomi | 41.0 | 13% | 33.2 | 11% | 23% |
| Transition | 28.5 | 9% | 17.3 | 6% | 65% |
| I live | 23.9 | 7% | 23.9 | 8% | 0% |
| Others | 94.4 | 30% | 90.9 | 31% | 4% |
| Total | 319.5 | 100% | 296.9 | 100% | 8% |
Looking at the raw numbers, Apple and Samsung remain the market leaders globally, followed by Xiaomi in third and Oppo in fourth. Companies like vivo and Honor have released their flagships and are expected to challenge Transsion for a place in the Top 5.
| Agency | Shipments 2023 (millions) | Market share 2023 | Shipments 2022 (millions) | Market share 2022 | Edit |
| 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% |
| Transition | 92.6 | 8% | 73.1 | 6% | 27% |
| Others | 347.9 | 30% | 364.1 | 31% | -4% |
| Total | 1142.1 | 100% | 296.9 | 100% | -4% |
The year 2024 is expected to see manufacturers go in two strategic directions: investing in AI on devices or expanding shipments into the low-to-mid-range segment. Samsung just launched its Galaxy S24 smartphones with Galaxy AI globally, while Chinese companies launched the phones domestically; the next step will certainly be international expansion.
The mass market segment will be the focus for sellers, while value for money and convenience proposition will be the key product strategies in the short term, Zhu added.
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