The mobile phone sector saw Apple rise to the top spot in 2023, breaking Samsung's decade-long hold and reflecting the larger recovery of the global smartphone sector earlier in the year.

According to the International Data Corporation's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the global smartphone market will decline by 3.2% to reach 1.17 billion units in 2023. The second half of 2023 saw a hopeful revival, with the final quarter registering an excellent 8.5. Growth compared to last year in % exceeded the expected growth of 7.3%.

Apple's top spot in 2023 is significant given that it has faced increased regulatory hurdles and renewed competition from Huawei in China, its main market. According to Nabila Popal, research director of the IDC Worldwide Tracker group, Apple not only showed positive annual growth, but also took the top spot for the first time.

Ryan Reith, IDC's vice president of global mobility and consumer device tracking, points out that not only Apple, but other players in the Android market also played a role in Samsung's downfall. Brands like Huawei, OnePlus, Honor, Google and others have launched competitive devices at the higher end of the lower price range of the market, leading to market diversification in the Android space.

The top five smartphone manufacturers by total shipments, market share and annual growth in the last quarter of 2023 included Apple 80.5 million units, market share 24.7%, growth 11.6%, Samsung 53.0 million units, market share 16.3%, -10.9% growth, Xiaomi 40.7 million units, 12.5% market share, 22.7% growth, Transsion 28.2 million units, 8.6% market share, 68.6% growth and Vivo 24.1 million units, 7.4% market share, 5.1% growth.

Annual results for 2023 confirm Apple's dominance, with Apple 234.6 million units, 20.1% market share, up 3.7%), Samsung 226.6 million units, 19.4% market share, up -13, 6%, Xiaomi 145.9 million units, 12.5% market share, -4.7% growth, OPPO 103.1 million units, 8.8% market share, -9.9% growth and Transsion 94.9 million units, 8.1% market share, 30.8% growth as leading players, marking a crucial year of upheaval in the smartphone industry.