Q1 2024 Smartphone Sales: Apple and Samsung Reign Supreme in Global Market

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that tech giants Apple and Samsung are leaders in the world of smartphones. And in 2024 so far, we’ve witnessed both dominate the market.

With the first quarter of the year done and dusted, it was interesting to witness how all devices featured in the top 10 list were equipped with 5G technology. But there could be only one that reigned supreme and no guesses here as to who won that top spot.

Apple’s 15 iPhone Pro Max managed to cinch the leader’s position, clearly leaving all others behind.

Moreover, the lineup for the Pro models managed to make up close to half of the firm’s sales for the first quarter this year and that’s a staggering rise from what we witnessed in the past.

It was also interesting to see how both Samsung and Apple managed to take up five positions each on the list and that meant other arch-rivals had no fair chance to compete. The news comes to us thanks to Counterpoint Research who just unraveled the list for monthly smartphone model sales.

The list had close to seven models being of premium origin and that meant wholesale prices hit the $600 and beyond mark.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max ended up being the best-selling feature for the first time for Apple when it experienced a non-seasonal quarter. This truly proved a very valid point. There’s a growing trend in terms of consumers purchasing premium devices. Interestingly, all of Apple’s iPhone models as well as iPhone 14 were dubbed as bestsellers. And then seeing the iPhone 15 array of models meant saying hello to the top three positions on the list too.

As time passes, the iPhone Pro models are getting more popular and the company does not mind as most of its revenue arises from this category. This meant saying hello to 60% sales, not to mention the huge variety of upgrades and major enhancements linked to base models.

The move here is very strategic as more and more users are able and willing to pay for a great premium device, as long as it gives a lot in return.

The Pro features entail a very innovative interface and plenty of chipsets with the smoothest displays and cameras. Now, the addition of a titanium build is another offering worth a glance.

Seeing the iPhone 15 Pro Max do so well in the industry despite it being so costly just goes to prove our point here. Consumer demand is strong as long as the Pro rolls out extra features that justify the high-end cost.

As far as South Korean tech giant Samsung is concerned, we’re saying hello to cinching the top two positions for the first quarter of 2024. The Ultra variant ranked fifth with the base variant coming up in the ninth position.

The S24 Galaxy Series is working like magic for Samsun as it enabled the device to hit the list of top 10 smartphones of 2024 so far. The Ultra ranked in at position 5 while the base came in at number nine.

The great performance can be credited to the likes of the series attaining a new refresh with a strong emphasis on Generative AI technology. Moreover, the company was one of the first to hit the market with plenty of AI offerings. This gave users the chance to produce content that was not only unique but also stemmed from a wandering experience and the best level of interaction with devices on offer.

A lot of people prefer to buy premium models and hold on to them for a longer period. After all, there’s not a lot of differentiation between old devices and newer upgrades to begin with. So it all makes sense.

So when you see a person buying an expensive device, it’s more like an investment for the future. They’re saving in the long term and you wouldn’t see them making a similar purchase each year when a newer model rolls out.

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