The big picture: Smartphone shipments rebounded in 2024 to reach 1.22 billion units worldwide, reversing two consecutive years of decline. The gains could be short-lived, however, as vendors and consumers are likely to face uncertainty in 2025 due to economic fluctuation, US tariffs, and other challenges. Apple maintained its position at the top of the stack thanks to strong performance in emerging markets and a stable showing in established regions like North America and Europe according to the latest report from Canalys. The company sold 225.9 million iPhones in 2024 down one percent year over year but enough to offset struggles faced in China.Late last month, the company announced its best quarter to date with revenues of $124.3 billion, even though its iPhone division experienced a slight year-over-year decline. Even with the dip, Apple's smartphone sector generated an impressive $69.1 billion during the three-month holiday quarter.Rival Samsung trailed close behind with 222.9 million units shipped last year, which was also down one percent from the year before. Xiaomi took home third place with a 14 percent market share after the Chinese smartphone maker managed to grow shipments by 15 percent to 168.6 million units. Transsion and Oppo rounded out the top five with shipments of 106.7 million and 103.6 million units, respectively.Canalys analyst Runar Bjrhovde said 2024 delivered the highest annual global shipment volume since the pandemic, thanks in part to mature economies like China, North America, and Europe starting to recover. The analyst added that promotions such as discounts, trade-ins, and bundles also helped accelerate demand in these regions.On a model by model basis, the iPhone 15 was the most shipped handset in 2024. In fact, six of the seven leading models shipped were Apple iPhones the sole exception being the Samsung Galaxy A15 in fourth place. The South Korean tech giant also captured the eighth and ninth position with its A15 5G and S24 Ultra, but everything else belonged to Apple.Image credit: Daniel Romero
