Visitors at an experience booth for Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S24 smartphones try out the company’s new device at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Jan. 17. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Baek Byung-yeul
Samsung Electronics regained the leading position in global smartphone sales just five months after ceding it to Apple. The comeback is credited to the robust performance of its new AI-powered Galaxy S24 smartphones, according to industry officials and data, Monday.
Samsung ceded the No. 1 position to Apple in September last year, but the Galaxy 24, which features a range of AI functions, has seen a positive response in the market since its debut in January.
In February, Samsung sold 19.69 million smartphones, capturing a 20-percent market share, beating Apple, which sold 17.41 million phones for an 18 percent share, according to data from market researcher Counterpoint Research.
Analysts attributed Samsung’s return to the No. 1 spot to robust sales in the United States and European markets.
“It is encouraging that Samsung regained the top spot by achieving a 20 percent global share with a positive response to the Galaxy S24 series in the U.S. and Europe,” Kim Rok-ho, a researcher at Hana Securities, said.
The manufacturer of the Galaxy series of smartphones maintained its top spot in the European market with a 34 percent share. Additionally, it experienced a notable surge in its share of the U.S. market, traditionally dominated by Apple products, rising to 36 percent from 20 percent in January. Apple’s share of the U.S. market fell from 64 percent to 48 percent over the same period.
On an annual basis, Samsung lost the top spot in global smartphone market share in terms of shipments to Apple last year, for the first time in 13 years. According to market research firm IDC, Apple captured a 20.1 percent share in 2023, surpassing Samsung, whose share declined to 19.4 percent from 21.7 percent in 2022.
To reverse the situation, Samsung launched the S24 smartphone in January, featuring AI functions and enhanced camera capabilities. Data showed that by the end of February, the company had sold 6.53 million units of the device globally.
The AI features that Samsung Electronics introduced in the Galaxy S24 include real-time translation of 13 languages during calls and the Circle to Search function, which enables users to search by drawing a circle on the screen.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera was recently named the world’s best phone camera by U.S.-based Consumer Reports magazine. The monthly magazine, published by a non-profit organization called Consumers Union, gave the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera a score of 87, beating the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which scored 86. Also, the Galaxy S24 Plus, which was launched alongside the Galaxy S24 Ultra, came in third with a score of 85 points.
