Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Apple Takes Lead in Smart Phones as Market Dips

Smartphones dipped in the final quarter of 2017, a period in which Apple re-took the lead over Samsung in worldwide market share.

Despite its rise in rankings, Apple's shipments for the quarter actually shrank compared with the same period in 2016, according to preliminary data released by market research firm IDC. Apple shipped 77.3 million Phones in the quarter, a decline of 1.3 percent from the previous year. Samsung, meanwhile, shipped 74.1 million units in the fourth quarter, a drop of 4.4 percent over the previous year.

"Apple continues to prove that having numerous models at various price points bodes well for bringing smartphone owners to iOS," IDC noted. "Although demand for the new higher priced iPhone X may not have been as strong as many expected, the overall iPhone lineup appealed to a wider range of consumers in both emerging and developed markets...."

Huawei (41 million units), Xiaomi (28.1 million units) and OPPO (27.4 million units) rounded out the top 5 for the fourth quarter.

Smartphones dipped in the final quarter of 2017, a period in which Apple re-took the lead over Samsung in worldwide market share. 

Overall, the fourth quarter saw a decline of 6.3 percent in smartphone shipments, landing at 403.5 million.

For the full year, Samsung remained the No. 1 smartphone maker, shipping 317.3 million phones, up 1.9 percent over 2016. Apple shipped  215.8 million iPhones, up 0.2 percent over 2016. Huawei (153.1 million units), OPPO (111.8 million) and Xiaomi (92.4 million) rounded out the top 5 for the year.

According to IDC: "Despite the failure of the Note 7 combined with the endless collective pressure from Chinese players along with Apple, Samsung has managed to remain on top through thick and thin. The pending arrival of their next flagship, the Galaxy S9, may represent the brand's best chance of winning over both new and current customers in 2018."

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • Male teacher standing in front of the class explaining a lesson to a diverse group of elementary school students listening at their desks

    SMART Technologies Launches Audio Accessibility Solution for SMART Boards

    SMART Technologies has introduced SoundFlow, a plug-and-play broadcasting system that allows classroom audio content to flow directly from a SMART Board display to students' compatible hearing aids, earbuds, headphones, personal listening devices, or speakers.

  • Girl playing video games

    5 Lessons Video Game Designers Can Teach Educators About Learning

    Video game designers spend an enormous amount of time studying what keeps people engaged when something becomes difficult. They have become very good at helping people persist. Schools should pay attention.

  • large cloud icon with abstract code and interconnected polygons

    Report: Enterprise AI Workloads Are Tipping Toward Private Cloud

    Broadcom's 2026 Private Coud Outlook report says enterprise AI is moving from experimentation into production, with private cloud emerging as the preferred deployment environment for AI inference among surveyed organizations.

  • circuit patterns

    Anthropic Intros Lower-Cost Claude Sonnet 5

    Anthropic has launched Claude Sonnet 5, positioning the model as its most autonomous mid-tier offering to date and a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Opus 4.8 system. The company said the model can plan multi-step tasks, operate tools such as browsers and terminals, and complete agentic work at a level that previously required larger and more expensive models.