Global smartphone shipments grew 5% year on year in Q3 2024, reaching 309.9 million units, the strongest Q3 performance since 2021. This surge was fueled by aggressive launches from smartphone brands offering refreshed portfolios with strong value propositions, encouraging upgrade numbers amid a favorable refresh cycle and robust consumer sentiment.

Apple retained second place with a record 54.5 million units, driven by the iPhone 16 series’ strong debut in emerging markets from narrower hardware gaps between base and Pro models.

“Apple achieved record Q3 shipments, driven by a strategic blend of channel and supply chain optimizations,” said Canalys Analyst Le Xuan Chiew. “Post-WWDC’s Apple Intelligence announcements, consumers are actively upgrading from older iPhone 12 and 13 models to embrace this new technology. Moreover, Apple’s diversified iPhone production, notably in India, has significantly reduced lead times, streamlining pre-order fulfillment and stimulating local demand through competitive pricing.

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Supplementary production of previous-generation iPhones, such as the iPhone 13 and 15, in India has further bolstered Apple’s operator channel shipments into the US and Europe, enabling it to reclaim market share in the mid-range segment and capitalize on replacement demand.

Samsung led with 57.5 million shipments, bolstered by a streamlined entry-level lineup. Apple’s next-gen iPhone SE 4 arriving in 2025 will help Apple counter Samsung and Chinese vendors who have stronger entry-level smartphones.