INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology

IDC report shows worldwide smartphone shipments grew 6.4 % in 2024 .

This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of shipment growth , closing the whole year with 6.4 % growth and 1.24 billion shipments , marking a strong recovery after two challenging years of decline . We expect the market to continue growing in 2025 , albeit at a slower pace , as refresh cycles continue growing and pent-up demand is fulfilled .

“ The strong growth witnessed in 2024 proves the resilience of the smartphone market as it occurred despite lingering macro challenges , forex concerns in emerging markets , ongoing inflation , and lukewarm demand ,” said Nabila Popal , Senior Research Director for Worldwide Client Devices , IDC .

Apple and Samsung maintained the top two positions in Q4 and for the year , IDC says both companies witnessed YoY declines and their shares shrunk thanks to the super aggressive growth of Chinese vendors this year – who drove the overall market by focusing on low-end devices , rapid expansion and development in China .

Outside of Apple and Samsung , Xiaomi came in third for the quarter and the year , with the highest YoY growth rate among the Top 5 players .

Transsion placed fourth but tied with vivo for the quarter and with OPPO for the year as competition intensified between the three .

“ This past quarter was particularly remarkable for the largest Chinese smartphone vendors : Xiaomi , Oppo , Vivo , Honor , Huawei , Lenovo , realme , Transsion , TCL and ZTE . They achieved a historic milestone as they shipped the highest combined volume ever in a quarter , representing 56 % of the global smartphone shipments in Q4 ,” said Francisco Jeronimo , vice president for EMEA Client Devices , IDC .

“ Notably , Huawei stands apart , with most of its shipments in the high-end and premium segments , underscoring its distinct market positioning in China .”

Anthony Scarsella , Research Director for Client Devices , IDC , said : " Despite the continued growth across several regions , we have seen a decreased demand for foldables in the market , despite intensified promotions and marketing .

" Vendors have started shifting R & D away from foldables as consumer interest remains flat . Moreover , numerous vendors are prioritizing new AI advancements at the expense of foldables as AI is increasingly featured on more devices , particularly at the market ' s upper echelon thanks to GenAI .” p

“ Vendors successfully adjusted their strategies to drive growth by focusing on promotions , launching devices in multiple price segments , interest-free financing plans , and aggressive tradeins – fueling premiumization and boosting low-end devices – especially in China and emerging markets . While we remain optimistic about continued growth in 2025 , the threat of new and increased tariffs from the new US administration has elevated uncertainty across the industry , driving some players to seek preventative measures to mitigate risks ; however , thus far , the impact has been minimal .”

70 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com