Industry experts say the global smartphone market grew year-on-year in Q3, attributing the higher sales to the ongoing phone replacement cycle. And as the segment grew, the competition between the top five global smartphone brands intensified.

In Q3, Samsung and Apple had nearly equal market share. Each company held roughly 18% of the global smartphone market, with Samsung barely defending its leadership position.

A year ago, Samsung held 21% of the market, and Apple accounted for 17%. Industry watchers (via Canalys) say Apple enjoyed the highest third-quarter shipment volume to date in 2024. The company's success was driven by high demand for the iPhone 15 series and legacy models.

Xiaomi gained a percent global market share and captured the third spot on the podium with 14%. Interestingly, OPPO and Vivo also had nearly equal market shares of around 9% each and battled for fourth place.

Samsung and Apple will keep leading

Although the global smartphone market in Q3 saw higher shipments and tighter competition between the top five brands, the Samsung-Apple dominance remains a thing of its own.

In fact, moving forward, Samsung and Apple are most ready to take on new challenges. Industry watchers say that as market conditions improve, vendors will face more eco-related regulatory hurdles. OEMs who have an effective supply chain, healthy inventory, and optimized marketing and sales will have the highest chances of leading the global segment.

Samsung has the best customer support, supply chain, and healthy inventory levels among all Android manufacturers. It benefits from a global retail presence that no Android phone maker can match. However, Apple is in a similar position, which is why the Cupertino giant remains Samsung's biggest threat to its throne.

As market conditions improve, the upcoming holiday shopping season will be a test for each OEM to demonstrate its ability to manage inventory and the global supply for its potentially best-selling mobile products.

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