While Apple surges ahead, Samsung’s smartphone shipments plummet by 36 million units. Is fierce competition and more focus on premium devices responsible for this gradual downfall over the past ten years?
Over the past decade, Samsung’s smartphone shipments have experienced a significant decline, dropping by 36 million units per quarter compared to ten years ago, according to a Stocklytics report.
While Samsung has remained the world’s largest smartphone producer for the last fifteen years, its market dominance is steadily weakening, particularly in comparison to its biggest competitor, Apple.
Ten years ago, Samsung consistently shipped between 75 million and 88.5 million smartphones every quarter. However, the company’s latest figures for Q4 2024 reveal a stark contrast. With only 51.7 million smartphones shipped during this period, Samsung’s quarterly shipments have reached their lowest level in a decade.
This represents a staggering 36.8 million fewer devices than the same quarter ten years ago, highlighting a sharp and ongoing downward trajectory in Samsung’s sales.
The report highlighted several factors that have contributed to this dramatic decline. One key reason is Samsung’s shift in focus from budget models, which once drove substantial sales volumes, to high-end devices like the Galaxy S and Z series. While this move may have targeted more lucrative markets, it inadvertently alienated cost-conscious customers. These customers are particularly those in emerging markets, where affordable smartphones were in high demand.
At the same time, competition from Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo has intensified. These companies have successfully captured market share in regions where Samsung traditionally led, particularly in Asia, by offering feature-rich, affordable alternatives.
This shift in strategy also coincided with a broader trend in global smartphone consumption, as consumers increasingly held on to their devices for longer periods, reducing the frequency of upgrades.
As a result, Samsung’s once-robust sales have faltered, in comparison to Apple, which has continued to expand its market share.
Between 2014 and 2019, Samsung’s smartphone shipments fluctuated, with peaks and valleys reflecting both market conditions and product cycles. In mid-2019, Samsung’s shipments plummeted to 54.2 million, triggering concern within the company.
By the third quarter of 2020, the brand saw a brief recovery, with 80.4 million smartphones shipped, one of its best quarterly performances in recent years. However, the positive momentum was short-lived, as the company faced another decline in 2021. Shipments fell to 69 million in Q3 of that year, marking the beginning of a longer-term negative trend.
In 2022, Samsung suffered its most significant drop in recent years, with a decline of 10.8 million units, bringing its quarterly shipments to 58.2 million by the final quarter of the year. Although the pace of decline slowed in 2023 and 2024, Samsung still experienced a year-over-year (YoY) reduction of 5.2 million and 1.3 million units, respectively.
Moreover, Samsung’s market share has also seen a sharp decline, dropping by 7% over the last decade, from 30.5% to 23.5%.
In contrast, Apple’s performance has been steadily rising. Despite a slight dip in Q4 2024—down 14% from its record-breaking 90.1 million shipments in Q4 2020—Apple shipped 76.9 million iPhones in the same quarter.
This number is still 2.4 million more than the company’s shipments in Q4 2014, highlighting Apple’s ability to maintain a consistent upward trajectory over the years. As of February 2025, Apple holds a 27.7% share of the global smartphone market, a 4% increase from a decade ago.
Apple’s strong brand loyalty, its seamless ecosystem, and its strategy of longer upgrade cycles have contributed to its sustained growth, with fewer customers opting to switch brands.
Samsung’s struggle to maintain its position amidst rising competition and shifting market dynamics paints a picture of an evolving smartphone landscape. The next few years could be critical in determining whether it can recapture its momentum or if Apple will continue to increase its share at the South Korean giant’s expense.
