Apple claimed a **** percent share of the market in the second quarter of 2024, an increase from the previous quarter. Apple's long time competitor, Samsung, ranked first with a market share of **** percent. Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the smartphone market Apple has been among the top-five smartphone vendors in the world since 2009. With the decline of former market leaders Nokia and RIM, Apple and Samsung were able to grow their presence in the market. As a result of political pressure, tariffs and restrictions imposed by the U.S, Chinese manufacturer Huawei has recently dropped off of the top five list in the smartphone market, while Xiaomi, Oppo, and Transsion have gained ground. Coronavirus (COVD-19) pandemic impact on iPhone sales While the long-term impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on sale is difficult to determine, the immediate impact was quickly visible. While large quarterly fluctuations are normal for Apple’s revenue cycle, one must look back to 2017 to find two consecutive quarters in which Apple generated less than ** billion U.S. dollars in revenue from the iPhone. A less strong performance in the first quarter of 2024, lead by the iPhone 16, gave Apple the ****** spot in terms of quarterly global unit shipments after Samsung, although strong sales in the fourth quarter of every year is a common occurrence with Apple products.

Android maintained its position as the leading mobile operating system worldwide in the first quarter of 2025 with a market share of about ***** percent. Android's closest rival, Apple's iOS, had a market share of approximately ***** percent during the same period. The leading mobile operating systems Both unveiled in 2007, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS have evolved through incremental updates introducing new features and capabilities. The latest version of iOS, iOS 18, was released in September 2024, while the most recent Android iteration, Android 15, was made available in September 2023. A key difference between the two systems concerns hardware - iOS is only available on Apple devices, whereas Android ships with devices from a range of manufacturers such as Samsung, Google and OnePlus. In addition, Apple has had far greater success in bringing its users up to date. As of February 2024, ** percent of iOS users had iOS 17 installed, while in the same month only ** percent of Android users ran the latest version. The rise of the smartphone From around 2010, the touchscreen smartphone revolution had a major impact on sales of basic feature phones, as the sales of smartphones increased from *** million units in 2008 to **** billion units in 2023. In 2020, smartphone sales decreased to **** billion units due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Apple, Samsung, and lately also Xiaomi, were the big winners in this shift towards smartphones, with BlackBerry and Nokia among those unable to capitalize.

Apple’s iOS mobile operating system held around **** percent of the global smartphone market share in the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase from the previous quarter but a marginal decrease from the same quarter in the previous year. This is consistent with Apple's distribution pattern in recent years, claiming a strong share of the market during the fourth quarter of the year and shipping devices at a slower rate throughout the remainder of the year.

As of 2023, for the first time ever, Apple ranked as the market leader in the global smartphone market with a **** percent share of all shipments. The tech giant retained the top title in 2024, with a share of nearly ** percent of the global smartphone market. Samsung ranked second, holding ** percent of the market share. Global smartphone market shareSamsung has seen its popularity steadily increase since it held just a *** percent of the smartphone vendor market at the beginning of 2010. Samsung’s share of the overall mobile phone market, has fluctuated in recent times, dropping to under ** percent in the most recent year. Apple became smartphone market leader based on shipments in 2023. Apple’s smartphone sales are relatively cyclical and peak in the fourth quarter each year. In the fourth quarter of 2024, ** percent of all smartphones new smartphones sold were iPhones. The iPhone generated considerable revenue for Apple with sales of the device amounting to over *** billion U.S. dollars in their 2024 financial year.

In December 2018, the iPhone * accounted for nearly ** percent of all iPhone sales worldwide. Newer models such as the iPhone XS and XS Max, which were released in September of 2018, make up a smaller share of sales, retaining **** and **** percent of the iPhone market share respectively.

Apple iPhone

Apple released the first iPhone in June of 2007, and the product has become a staple of their line of electronics ever since. Twenty-one different models have been released over the product’s life span, with at least one new iPhone hitting the market in every year since 2007. Apple routinely reports annual iPhone sales figures of more than *** million units, and the company’s iPhone segment accounts for more than ** percent of total revenue.

The iPhone’s place in the smartphone market

Once accounting for nearly a quarter of global smartphone market share, the iPhone has since faced increased competition from the South Korean electronics giant Samsung, as well as Chinese smartphone manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo. The global average price for smartphones is forecast to grow in the near future, reaching a projected *** U.S. dollars in 2021. With some newer models having a price tag of over ***** dollars, the iPhone is clearly positioned as a luxury product.

This statistic shows the global market share held by Apple with respect to sales of mobile phones to end users from the first quarter of 2009 to the latest quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Apple had a global market share of *** percent of the mobile phone market. This peak coincided with the release of the iPhone 5. During the same period, the iPhone was also Apple's most successful product, with a 46 percent share of total revenues.

As of March 2025, the Apple iOS ** represented the majority of Apple devices globally, holding a combined **** percent of all Apple mobile devices globally. Apple's iOS ** trailed in the second place with around ***** percent of Apple mobile devices worldwide. Overall, the statistic indicates that the significant changes in iOS version market shares usually take place around the Apple Event each September when the company unveils its latest iPhone.

Apple held the largest slice of the global smartphone market by shipments during the fourth quarter of 2024, followed by Samsung. Xiaomi has taken a tight grip on the third position, accounting for a market share of ** percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. Samsung and Apple smartphone sales Smartphone vendors have been suffering from the events of the past couple of years, including the pandemic and the economic downturn. However, they all appear to be recovering, as shown by the recent increase in shipments. For instance, mostly based on the main line of Galaxy Series, Samsung's smartphone shipments totaled nearly ***** million units globally in 2024. Next to Samsung, Apple is a major manufacturer of smartphones worldwide, with the company shipping more than *** million iPhones worldwide in 2024. Apple’s sales tend to be very cyclical, peaking in the fourth quarter each year, much like in the fourth quarter of 2023, when they took the first spot in terms of units shipped globally with around **** units. Xiaomi in the lead While Apple and Samsung are typically the two major companies challenging for the top spot, Huawei had provided a strong challenge in recent years. Particularly, the Chinese company managed to climb the smartphone market ladder between 2011 and 2024, recording shipments of over ** million smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2024. However, strong performances from rivals like Xiaomi and the effects of the U.S. trade ban have since seen Huawei fall outside the list of top five vendors by smartphone shipments.

In 2022, Android dominated the smartphone operating system (OS) shipment market throughout the world, with **** percent of the total market. The Apple operating system, known as iOS, makes up a significantly smaller portion of the total shipment market with only **** percent. However, these are the only two competitors that are anticipated to have a share of the market in the coming years.

This statistic shows the iPhone X iOS market share in selected countries worldwide as of January 2018. At that point in time, Singapore showed the highest adoption rate for the latest iPhone model with nearly ***** percent, followed by the United Arab Emirates with a market share of around *** percent.

Apple's iOS continues to hold the largest share of the smartphone operating systems market in the United States, claiming more than **** of the market in 2024. Apple's share of the U.S. market has remained stable since 2018, when it accounted for around ** percent. This is reflected in all markets, with Apple's global share remaining stable year-on-year. Apple growing at home Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has continued to follow a stunning growth trajectory. Apple became the first U.S. company with a market capitalization exceeding two trillion dollars, just two years on from becoming the first trillion-dollar company. The iPhone, responsible for much of the company’s growth, has cemented its status as the smartphone of choice for many Americans during recent quarters. Google's Android operating system is a close competitor in the U.S. OS market, accounting for around ** percent of the market as of **********. However, Apple commands a far wider lead in the U.S. smartphone manufacturer market, with the Android user base split between various vendors such as Samsung and Motorola. Apple’s popularity across markets Apple has seen success with the iPhone in developed markets across the globe. iPhones accounted for **** of the **** most-sold handsets in the United Kingdom as of ************, and four of the leading five in Germany. Yet, the high price of Apple devices puts Apple at a disadvantage outside of wealthier markets. In Africa, iOS accounted for around ** percent of the mobile OS market in *************, while Android dominated with an ** percent share.

Android was the unquestioned leader of the mobile operating system (mobile OS) market in 2018, with ** percent of all devices sold running the Android system. Mobile OS ecosystem Smartphone operating systems, often referred to as smartphone OS, are operating systems that operate smartphones, PDAs, tablets and other mobile devices. An operating system allows these devices to run applications and programs, therefore, bringing advanced functions to mobile devices that were previously restricted to desktop computers. The now-discontinued OS Symbian was the first popular smartphone operating system in the world. With the launch of Ericsson‘s R380 in 2000, Symbian became the first modern mobile OS on a smartphone. By 2009, Symbian accounted for nearly half of the global smartphone operating systems market, while RIM/Blackberry, also a pioneer in this market, held around ** percent of the share. Despite the early start, both Symbian and RIM have been almost driven out of the market as new operating systems were released. Apple introduced its first iPhone model to the consumer market in 2007, revolutionizing the market. Prior to the launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, smartphones were a rather niche product and had not yet attained mass appeal. As of 2020, Apple's iPhone held the third largest smartphone market share. Since 2011, Apple’s iOS market share has varied between ** and ** percent.

In 2023, the used smartphone market share (including both officially refurbished and used smartphones) in North America reached ** percent. The used smartphone market is expected to decrease in North America and by 2026, it will amount to less than ** percent of the global used smartphone market. The global refurbished smartphone market In recent years, the refurbished smartphone market has been growing at a global level and reached a size of roughly ** billion U.S. dollars in 2021. In the same year, over 251 million used or refurbished smartphones were shipped globally, with Latin America and India being the market leaders in terms of growth. The U.S. refurbished smartphone market Despite the U.S. playing an active role in the global refurbished smartphone market, Americans appear to prefer to buy new phones instead of reconditioned ones, mainly because they are concerned with the quality and reliability of their smartphones. However, those who do buy such devices prefer Apple iPhones rather than Android smartphones, making the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11 the most popular reconditioned smartphones.

Apple claimed 21.9 percent of the smartphone market by sales to end users in the fourth quarter of 2021, remaining relatively stable compared with the previous quarter.. Apple has experienced relatively cyclical sales, where sales and market share peak in the fourth quarter each year, coinciding with the release of new iPhone models.

Smartphones running the Android operating system hold an ** percent share of the global market in 2019 and this is expected to increase over the forthcoming years. The mobile operating system developed by Apple (iOS) has a ** percent share of the market.

How Android became the market leader Android’s global success can in many ways be attributed to its open-source software that can be installed on all smartphone devices for free. Developed by Google, the open code provides manufacturers the freedom to choose which apps are pre-installed on their devices, and they can customize layouts to create unique experiences for users. The first commercial version of the Android software was released in 2008 and its rise to market leader was almost instant. The platform held a **** percent share of the global operating systems’ market in 2009, but this figure increased by around ** percent each year for the next three years.

The global smartphone market Annual sales of smartphones have increased to around **** billion units worldwide. They are now available to everyone and not just those with wealth. The cost of buying a smartphone has continued to fall each year, with the global average price now being around *** U.S. dollars. Fierce competition within the smartphone market could be one reason why prices are falling. Samsung (South Korea) and Apple (U.S.) have historically held large shares of global smartphone production, but Chinese brands Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are now offering alternative devices that are proving popular worldwide.

Samsung held a ** percent share of the global smartphone market in the first quarter of 2024. Apple followed closely behind, with an overall share of ** percent. The changing face of the smartphone market The make-up of the smartphone market has changed significantly since 2009. Nokia used to lead the industry with almost ** percent of the smartphone market share in 2007, and before the arrival of the iPhone, it was hard for consumers to imagine Nokia becoming a market outsider. Huawei's rise and fall have had a significant impact on the face of the market. Huawei consistently challenged Apple and Samsung for position at the top of the market, even leading it in the second quarter of 2020. Huawei has not appeared in the top five since the second quarter of 2021, largely as a result of trade restrictions. RIM’s Blackberry devices stand as an example of the effect large-display touchscreen devices had on the market. Blackberry devices sold on a number of strengths, including a well-designed physical QWERTY keyboard and secure enterprise integration. The Blackberry lost its unique value as touchscreen devices improved, leading to a significant decline in revenue. RIM eventually ceased development of the Blackberry in 2016.

The statistic shows share of smartphone shipments worldwide by operating system from 2009 to 2017. In 2017, **** percent of all smartphones sold had Android as its operating system.

Smartphone operating systems market - additional information

The operating system, also known as an OS, transmits user commands to all other programs and applications. It also controls the peripheral devices, such as printers or cameras. A mobile OS operates on hand-held devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, tablets or smart watches. While OS themselves are usually available for free and are already installed on the device, the additional programs and apps are tailored specifically for each system.

As of 2014, the main players on the smartphone OS market are Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Other smartphone operating systems on the market include Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Blackberry’s RIM to a lesser extent. Symbian, which was used extensively on mobile phones and early generations of smartphones by leading manufacturers, such as Samsung, LG, Motorola and most notably Nokia, was a dominant player on the market in 2009 and 2010. Due to the growing popularity of Android, which most major smartphone manufacturers adopted as their OS of choice, and Nokia’s partnership with Windows Phone, which began in 2011, Symbian was effectively pushed off the market in 2014.

Google’s Android leads the global market with an ** percent market share, while Apple’s iOS is second, with ** percent. There are stark differences between regional markets; in the United States for example, the market is almost equally divided between Android and iOS.

In 2023, Android held a nearly ** percent share of the global smartphone OS market. Android's smartphone sales has been decreasing gradually since 2019, when it held a staggering ** percent of the market, due to Apple's smartphones' increasing share. Why is Google’s Android OS dominating the market? One reason for Android’s large market share is that it is an open-source platform, allowing mobile phone manufacturers to use and adapt the operating system for their own devices. Samsung, who run their own customized version of the Android operating system, currently have the largest share of global smartphone sales by vendor. In contrast, Apple’s iOS software is a closed-source platform, meaning they can control the user experience and make it available exclusively on their mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad. This model has also proved profitable: Apple generated 69.7 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from iPhone sales alone in the first quarter of 2024. Changing trends in mobile OS market Android and iOS are the leading mobile operating systems today, but back in 2009 the market was much different with Symbian and RIM (Research In Motion) holding close to ** percent of the sales market share. Symbian operated on Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson devices, while RIM only functioned on BlackBerry smartphones. Both developers were slow to anticipate the changes within the mobile operating systems’ market and were ultimately left behind by the innovative approach of Apple and Google.

The statistic shows the share of mobile phone sales worldwide to end users by vendor from 1997 to 2014. In 2014, Samsung held a market share of **** percent of mobile phone sales worldwide. Mobile phone market share - additional information With a market share of about ** percent, Samsung is the leading mobile phone vendor worldwide. Samsung has held the top position since 2012 when the South Korean company passed Nokia, Samsung’s closest competitor at the time. Nokia has seen its mobile phone market share fall from nearly ** percent in 2008 to almost ** percent in 2014, dropping to third place in terms of market share in the beginning of 2015. The second largest mobile phone vendor in the world is Apple, with a share of around ** percent. Samsung is especially known for some of its consumer products such as mobile devices and home entertainment systems. In the third quarter of 2015, the South Korean company sold over *** million mobile phones. Samsung also leads the smartphone market; the company accounts for **** percent of all smartphone shipments worldwide, with *** million units in 2016 alone. The success in the mobile market is reflected in the company’s global revenue. Apple has taken over the position of second largest mobile phone vendor in the world due to Nokia's decline, and the increasing popularity of smartphones. The company shipped just over *** million smartphones in 2016. The iPhone is Apple's main product, and generates more than ** percent of the company's revenue.

The new mobile operating system iOS ** was installed on ** percent of the Apple devices that accessed the Apple App Store in March 2025, while the older iOS ** was running on ** percent of mobile devices and earlier releases on the remaining **** percent. Apple’s smartphone market share Apple held over ** percent share of the global smartphone sales market in 2024, but historically reports sales share increases during the fourth quarter because of the annual fall release of a new device and the holiday season. Demand for the iPhone ** and ** Plus, as well as iPhone ** Pro and Pro Max led to Apple announcing a sales figures of more than ** million units sold worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2024. In the first quarter of Apple's 2024 fiscal year, iPhone sales accounted for around ** percent of Apple's total revenue in the same quarter. The world at your fingertips Apple unveiled the very first iPhone and its supporting operating system (iOS 1) in 2007. It introduced an interface that allowed users to navigate the screen with their fingers, presenting a revolutionary touch keyboard that signaled a paradigm shift in the smartphone market.