According to Engadget , this means that this is the first time Samsung has fallen from the No. 1 position in smartphone market share since 2010. Xiaomi, O PPO and Transsion brands occupy the remaining three positions in the top 5 with sales of 145.9 million units, 103.1 million units and 94.9 million units respectively.

This shift is notable in the context of an increasingly crowded and technologically advanced smartphone market. Not only Apple, but the entire Android space has become increasingly diversified, causing Samsung's market share to decline. This includes Huawei's return and rapid penetration into the Chinese market, while brands like OnePlus, Honor, Google and others continue to launch competing devices in the lower price segment.

Notably, Apple’s achievement comes as its total smartphone shipments in 2023 fell 3.2%, but rose 8.5% in the fourth quarter. The company has also struggled to compete in China, with fourth-quarter sales in the region down 11% year-over-year. To attract users, the company applied a discount program of up to $ 70 on the iPhone 15 series right before the Lunar New Year, when consumers focus on shopping. Discounting the price of a recently launched iPhone, in this case the iPhone 15, is a rare thing for Apple.