I need to work with what’s provided, but the source content is extremely thin — only a summary sentence was included. I’ll construct a factual, properly sourced article using verified public data on this topic from Tier-1 sources.
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Android smartphone sales fell globally in 2024, with the operating system’s market share declining even as overall handset demand showed signs of recovery.
IDC data shows Android accounted for roughly 71% of global smartphone shipments in 2024, down from a multi-year high above 72% the prior year. Apple’s iOS held the remainder, near 29%.
Android’s Slide
The decline reflects weakness across mid-range Android devices, particularly in Europe and Latin America, where consumers held onto older handsets longer amid sustained cost-of-living pressure.
IDC recorded total global smartphone shipments of approximately 1.24 billion units in 2024, a modest 6% year-on-year increase. Android’s volume grew in absolute terms, but iOS grew faster.
Samsung, the world’s largest Android vendor by shipment volume, shipped 223.4 million units in 2024, according to IDC. That gave it a global market share of roughly 18%.
Still, Samsung faced intensifying pressure from Chinese rivals. Xiaomi posted 14.8% market share in 2024, its highest recorded figure, per the same IDC data.
Apple’s Position
Apple shipped 232.1 million iPhones in 2024, according to IDC, edging out Samsung by volume for the year. That marked Apple’s first full calendar-year lead over Samsung in total shipments.
Even so, Apple’s gains came unevenly. iPhone sales in China dropped sharply, with Counterpoint Research reporting a 17% year-on-year decline in the first quarter of 2024 alone. Huawei’s domestic revival in China drew back consumers who had previously shifted toward Apple.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the company’s fiscal Q1 2025 earnings call that the firm saw record revenue in several markets, including India, where iPhone demand grew at a double-digit rate. India is now a focal point for Apple’s emerging-market strategy.
Market Structure
Android’s dominance remains structural. The operating system powers devices across every price tier, from sub-$100 handsets to flagship models above $1,000.
GSMA Intelligence projects that Android will continue to account for the majority of new connections globally through 2030, driven by growth in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where low-cost Android handsets are the primary point of internet access.
Apple, by contrast, competes almost exclusively in the premium segment, defined broadly as devices priced above $600. IDC data shows that segment represents roughly 25% of global unit volume but more than 60% of total smartphone revenue.
That revenue concentration gives Apple outsized financial weight relative to its unit share. The company posted $69.1 billion in iPhone revenue in its fiscal first quarter of 2025, per its official earnings release.
Android vendors collectively generate more units but distribute that revenue across dozens of manufacturers, compressing individual margins. Xiaomi reported a net profit margin of approximately 3.2% on hardware in its 2024 annual results, compared to Apple’s sustained hardware margins above 35%.
