After more than ten years: Apple is number one in the smartphone market for the first time

According to calculations by market researchers, Apple has been the world’s largest smartphone provider for the first time in a year. With 234.6 million iPhones, the American company will push Samsung out of first place in 2023 after more than ten years, analysis agency IDC announced on Tuesday evening. Samsung sold 226.6 million smartphones.

Apple managed to increase turnover by 3.7 percent in a market that shrank by more than three percent, while Samsung’s turnover fell by 13.6 percent. The two largest smartphone providers Xiaomi and Oppo also recorded declines, while competitor Transsion, which is mainly active in Africa, rose in fifth place by more than 30 percent.

In the holiday quarter, traditionally the key time for Apple’s new model business, iPhone sales rose 11.6 percent to 80.5 million devices, according to IDC. Samsung’s turnover, on the other hand, fell by about eleven percent to 53 million smartphones.

With the iPhone in 2007, Apple set the course for the modern smartphone. The group is not active in the low-price segment, which has always produced high profits but limited sales. The competing Google operating system Android, which the internet company makes available to various manufacturers, has a total market share of about 80 percent.

Samsung replaced Nokia at the top of the smartphone market in 2011 and has been number one year after year since. (sda/awp/dpa)