According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, the global smartphone market in Q4 2024 will continue to be stable and high-end. Specifically, mobile phone shipments were 323 million units, basically flat year-on-year. However, global market revenue increased by 5% year-on-year and average selling price (ASP) increased by 2% year-on-year, signaling a shift from "scale expansion" to "value growth" due to consumers' continued consumer preference for premium models.
Ⅰ Apple: With a market share of 23% and 54% of global revenue, its high-end dominance is unshakable
Apple holds the top spot in the world with a 23% market share and pockets 54% of the industry's total revenue, setting a quarterly all-time average selling price. Shipments of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max series increased by 11% year-on-year to 55 million units, becoming the core revenue engine.
Its strengths are not only reflected in the North American market (65% share), but also through growth in emerging markets such as India and Latin America. With the advancement of Apple Intelligence (generative AI capabilities), Apple is upgrading from a hardware company to a "device + service + ecosystem" hybrid enterprise.
Ⅱ Samsung: The mid-range market is stable, and the high-end competitiveness needs to be improved
Samsung ranks second with a 16% global share, but its revenue structure is skewed towards mid-range products. It performs well in Latin America (30% share) and Europe (31% share), but only has an 18% share in the North American premium market, far behind Apple's 62%.
Although the folding screen Galaxy Z series continues to iterate, the high-end S series has failed to subvert the market pattern. How to enhance brand recognition and balance the global layout is still a long-term challenge for Samsung.
Ⅲ Chinese manufacturers: Shipments have increased significantly, and Huawei has become the biggest variable
Among Chinese brands, Xiaomi (13% share) and vivo (8% share) stood out, with revenue growth of 11% and 20% respectively. With the high-cost performance of the Redmi Note series and the technological innovation of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Xiaomi has expanded rapidly in Europe (18% share) and Latin America (15% share); vivo relies on localized channels in Southeast Asia and India to break through the mid-to-high-end market with the iQOO sub-brand.
OPPO (6% share) has shown technical highlights in the Find N series of folding screens, but its sales volume is limited, with its Asian market accounting for 12%, and its European influence weakening to 3%.
Huawei's strong comeback is the biggest variable: despite not being in the top five, it rose to second place in the Chinese market with a 17% share, with shipments up more than 50% year-on-year. The Mate 70 series is equipped with self-developed Kirin chips, which has pushed the high-end market share of more than $600 back to the top three, and some models even surpass Apple in premium.
Kirin chips and the HarmonyOS ecosystem: Although the Kirin 9000s chip has a backward manufacturing process, it has achieved a breakthrough in experience through software and hardware optimization; The HarmonyOS NEXT system has been de-Androidized, accelerating the adaptation of apps to the Chinese app ecosystem and laying the foundation for multi-device collaboration.
Overseas exploratory recovery: Huawei has restarted distribution in markets such as the Middle East and Latin America, established a foothold on wearable devices and tablets, and built a "non-GMS" service ecosystem through AppGallery and Petal Search. But its global recovery remains constrained by supply chains and geopolitics.
It is worth mentioning that in the fourth quarter of 2024, Transsion Holdings continued to consolidate its leading position in emerging markets such as Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, becoming one of the world's strongest growing mobile phone manufacturers. Thanks to its strong localization capabilities, cost-effective product strategy, and deep cultivation in offline channel construction, Transsion brands (such as TECNO, itel, and Infinix) have seen significant growth in shipments in multiple markets. According to Counterpoint data, Transsion's smartphone shipments in the African market surpassed feature phones for the first time, marking the acceleration of the wave of intelligence in Africa.
It is particularly noteworthy that TECNO has begun to try technological breakthroughs and design upgrades in high-end product lines (such as CAMON and PHANTOM series), and gradually penetrated into the mid-to-high-end market. This shows that Transsion is not only satisfied with the expansion of "quantity", but also prepares for the improvement of "quality". With the further expansion of the Southeast Asian market, Transsion is expected to become the most representative "hidden champion" in emerging markets.
Ⅳ Regional Market Observation: Emerging markets are the focus of competition
Asia-Pacific: Vivo (18%) and Xiaomi (16%) dominate, with low-end models dominant, but gradually accepting high-end models.
North America: Apple (65%) has a monopoly on high-end, Samsung (18%) relies on mid-range models, and Chinese brands have a weak presence.
Europe: Samsung (31%) leads, Xiaomi (18%) and Honor (5%) gradually penetrate.
Latin America: Samsung, Xiaomi, and Motorola stand on three legs, and Honor and ZTE have a low-end layout.
Middle East & Africa: Transsion (22%) leads the way with ultra-low-priced products, followed by Samsung (19%) and Xiaomi (14%).
Figure: Counterpoint Research, a market research organization, released global smartphone data for Q4 2024
Ⅴ The battle between technology and ecology: a key variable for future competition
AI technology integration: Apple's Apple Intelligence, Samsung's Galaxy AI and Chinese manufacturers' large models are embedded, competing for the status of "killer app".
Folding screen innovation: Huawei Mate X6 and Samsung Z series continue to iterate, but the market growth is slowing down, and it is necessary to break through the bottleneck of price and durability.
Ecological integration: Apple's ecological barriers are stable, Xiaomi and vivo are accelerating the deployment of IoT, and Huawei's HarmonyOS multi-terminal collaboration may become a differentiated advantage.
Localization capabilities: Transsion's success in Africa confirms the importance of channel development and customization strategies.
Ⅵ Summary: High-end and value competition determine the future trend
Apple continues to reap profits with its ecological and high-end advantages, Samsung is stuck in the balance between mid-range and high-end, and Chinese manufacturers are seeking breakthroughs in technological breakthroughs and globalization. Huawei's recovery has injected uncertainty into the market – if its supply chain and HarmonyOS ecosystem continue to improve, it may hit the global high-end landscape after 2025.
In the future, manufacturers need to find a balance between innovation, brand premium, ecological integration, and localized operation in order to win in the new value-oriented competition.
