Apple returns to top position in worldwide smartphone rankings

Apple has ranked first in the global smartphone market by shipment volume for the first time in the first quarter of the year, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

The company accounted for 21% of global shipments, increasing its performance by 9% year-on-year, despite an overall 3% decline in the smartphone market, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Samsung also held a 21% market share, but its shipments remained largely unchanged compared to last year. Xiaomi followed with 12%, Oppo with 10%, and Vivo with 7%. Xiaomi recorded a 19% drop in shipments, Oppo declined by 4%, and Vivo by 2%.

Analysts attribute Apple’s success to strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup, which previously ranked as the top three best-selling smartphones globally. Apple CEO Tim Cook has also described the iPhone 17 series as the company’s most popular ever.

According to Counterpoint, Apple benefited from efficient supply chain management, rising sales in China, and its ability to maintain premium positioning and profit margins. This helped the company better withstand ongoing memory chip shortages compared to competitors.

Analysts note that shortages of DRAM and NAND memory continue to affect the smartphone market, as chipmakers increasingly shift capacity toward data centers and artificial intelligence projects. The shortage is expected to persist until the end of 2027, according to forecasts.

By Jeyhun Aghazada