Apple has been overtaken by Samsung as the top phone maker. Now, the struggling tech giant is looking to find their “next big thing” as they rush to turn things around. Samsung was able to sell 60.1 million units in Q1 of 2024, which is more than any other smartphone manufacturer. Apple managed to claim the top spot last year with strong iPhone sales, but the competition is heating up with Android maker Xiaomi putting up impressive numbers.
Bigger Screens are Proving to be Popular
With an influx of new gaming controllers hitting the market, it seems that Samsung devices are proving to be popular with gamers. With Android, you have access to 419,482 mobile games, whereas Apple only offers 222,880. Samsung’s smartphones tend to have bigger screens when compared to the iPhone as well, making them more suited to gamers on the go. When playing online games such as the Temple Tumble Megaways slot, bigger screens make a major difference. With cascading dynamic reels and in-game events that trigger different modes, larger screens help to provide more clarity with gaming and make it easier to see smaller text on the screen. With 78% of all mobile gamers using Samsung devices, this could be a driving factor behind why Apple has lost their top spot. Sales for Apple are down 10%, and part of this came down to increased competition. Samsung launched their flagship phone, the Galaxy S24, this year and sold 20.8% of devices between January and March. Apple shares are also down by 1%. This comes after the tech giant scrapped their long-term plans to create electronic vehicles. They are now said to be experimenting with personal robot devices, as they grapple to find their next big thing to drive sales.a
Huawei Now Have a Bigger Market Share
Chinese brands, including Huawei, now have a much larger share of the iPhone market. Huawei is now one of the top creators of smartphones, as they claim the third position, selling 50.1 million units. Apple was the best-selling phone maker in 2023, due to strong sales from the release of the iPhone 15. During the first quarter, sales dropped. They shopped 50.1 million iPhones, down from 55.4 million. The drop is fuelled by their issues in China, which is currently their third-biggest market. Some companies have banned the use of foreign devices, leading to turbulence for the phone manufacturer. Apple has been resilient and has seen a lot of growth in shipments over the years, and maintaining that trajectory was always going to be difficult.
Although they are only narrowly missing out on the top spot, Android is said to be growing much faster than Apple, with a lot of the drive coming from gamers. Android devices tend to be heavier, with Apple focusing on a sleeker design. This does come with limitations, such as a smaller screen size overall, but it does help them to appeal to the business market and to working professionals.
