Investing.com -- Chinese Android brands are steadily increasing their market share in China, particularly at the expense of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and Samsung Electronics (KS:005930), Macquarie revealed in a Tuesday report, citing preliminary IDC data.
Global smartphone shipment volumes rose 2.4% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching 331.7 million units, though still 1.8% short of Macquarie's expectations.
Apple saw a 4.1% year-over-year decline in shipments to 76.9 million units, slightly below consensus forecasts.
Samsung, ranked second, saw shipments drop 2.6% to 51.7 million units, pushing its market share to an eight-year low of 15.6%.
Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF), in third place, recorded a 4.9% year-over-year increase in shipments to 42.7 million units, achieving its highest fourth-quarter market share at 12.9%. While this performance was approximately 3% below analyst estimates, it aligned with Xiaomi’s full-year guidance.
Shenzhen Transsion (SS:688036), the fourth-largest brand, posted a 3.4% decline in shipments to 27.2 million units, falling short of expectations by 4.2% and marking its third consecutive quarter of market share decline to 8.2%.
Vivo, ranked fifth, stood out with a 13% year-over-year increase in shipments to 27.1 million units, exceeding forecasts by roughly 15%.
“Chinese Android brands are gaining share in the high-end and premium segments in China, as well as grabbing shares in emerging markets,” Macquarie analyst Cherry Ma said in the note.
Looking ahead to 2025, analysts anticipate a strong year for the smartphone industry, with shipments projected to grow 6.5% year-over-year to 1.32 billion units. This growth is expected to be fueled by advancements in AI capabilities, improved hardware such as enhanced cameras, consumer subsidies in China, and increasing smartphone penetration in emerging markets.