The global smartphone market resumed its growth path in 2024, after two consecutive years of annual declinesaccording to the most updated results of the survey Market Pulseprepared by the international consulting firm Counterpoint Research.
Revenue growth for all global brands last year reached 4% compared to 2023. In any case, the reports highlight that it must be taken into account that 2023 It had been the worst year of the entire decade in terms of sales.
According to experts, the market recovery in 2024 It is explained by the incorporation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to smartphones, a technology that is considered potentially revolutionary.
In this context, the research director of Counterpoint Research, Tarun Pathak, noted: “2024 was a year of recovery and normalization after a difficult 2023. Smartphones remain an essential product, central to people’s daily lives, and as macroeconomic pressures eased, the market began to show signs of recovery from the fourth quarter of 2023 and in 2024 completed five consecutive quarters of growth. Almost all markets showed growth, led by Europe, China and Latin America.”
“In 2025, we expect revenue growth to continue to outpace volume growth, with revenue up 8% year-on-yearcompared to 4% volume growth in 2024,” he added.
Smartphone users privilege the new Artificial Intelligence functions
Although market-specific data is more delayed than global data, the consulting firm determined that GenAI-enabled smartphones contributed 18.3% to total global sales of smartphones in the third quarter of 2024.
“While smartphones with GenAI capability They remain limited to the premium segment for nowwe hope it becomes a norm for mid-range devices as well. By 2028, we hope that nine out of ten smartphones priced above $250 are compatible with GenAI,” explained Tarun Pathak.
Still, smartphone volumes are considered unlikely to reach the peak levels seen in the pre-pandemic era, the premiumization It means that revenue will continue to grow as average selling prices increase.
Smartphone sales ultra premium, those with a price greater than US$1,000, they grew faster in 2024 as consumers showed a preference to spend more on their next smartphone.
This was attributed to device subsidies provided in some developed markets and the greater availability of low-cost financing in emerging markets.
During the last quarter, 18 brands offered more than 80 smartphones with GenAI capability. Most of these devices were premium. It is planned that GenAI capabilities will begin to reach mid-level models starting this year in 2025.
Although it is said that not everything that glitters is gold, in this case the reality seems to be different. Smartphone OEMs They focus on improving the typical brightness of screens in all price ranges and, in the high-end smartphone market.
Screen brightness plays a crucial role since it is associated with consumers’ perception of screen quality. In line with this trend, display panel companies are developing technologies to overcome the brightness limitations of existing panels.
How was the ranking of the best-selling smartphones in the world in 2024
Samsung continued to lead the brand market in 2024, thanks to strong demand for its S24 series and A series product lines. The S24 series, the first phone positioned as an AI device, surpassed its predecessors and was especially received well in Western Europe and the United States.
apple, with a participation of 18%, it took second place. Apple’s iPhone 16 series had a mixed response, partly due to the lack of availability of Apple Intelligence at launch. However, Apple continued to grow strongly in its non-core markets, such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific-Other.
Xiaomi was the fastest growing brand among the top five in 2024, thanks to the restructuring of its portfolio, the push for premium brands and aggressive expansion activities. Oppo It ranked fourth, down year-on-year, but ended the year with stronger momentum. Alive rounded out the top five, led by strong performance in India and China, where it finished the year as the highest-ranked mobile device.
In terms of brands, the top 5 remained the same as in 2023, but lost some share due to aggressive competition from Huawei, Honor and Motorolathe fastest growing devices among the top 10 brands. Taken by model, the order of the ranking changes and is headed by Apple and Samsungin that order.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
