中国五六家手机厂商推出的长期的大幅折扣刺激了销量，而且这些折扣的效果比前一年更有效。当然，苹果目前仍然是利润最高的公司，平均售价超过1000美元，而安卓竞争对手的平均售价约为295美元。Sales in the global smartphone market rebounded strongly in 2024, ending a two-year decline. The growth momentum was mainly due to suppressed demand and regions with low smartphone penetration. AI technology did not significantly increase consumer interest. IDC predicts that total smartphone shipments will increase by 6.2% to 1.24 billion units in 2024, but Apple iPhone shipments will only increase slightly by 0.4% due to an increase in the market share of Android phone rivals.
The global smartphone market experienced a strong rebound in 2024, ending two consecutive years of declining sales.
Market tracking agency IDC predicts smartphone shipments will increase by 6.2% in 2024, with a total estimated total shipment volume of 1.24 billion units. However, it is worth noting that Apple's increase was relatively small, and iPhone shipments may have increased by only 0.4%, which indicates that its rivals — many Android phone manufacturers — are rapidly gaining market share.
The long-term sharp discounts introduced by five or six Chinese mobile phone manufacturers stimulated sales, and the effects of these discounts were more effective than the previous year. Of course, Apple is still the most profitable company, with an average selling price of over $1,000, while the average price of Android rivals is around $295.
However, the recovery of the smartphone market is uneven. Despite the advent of AI technology, the smartphone market is still sluggish in the post-pandemic era. According to IDC, growth in 2024 was mainly driven by depressed demand and regions with low smartphone penetration. More affordable devices from Android manufacturers helped Chinese brands seize this opportunity. Although companies such as Samsung Electronics, Apple, and Google are all vigorously promoting AI enhancements, these have not aroused consumer interest.
IDC's research director Nabila Popal said:
“Although generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) remains a hot topic and priority for many vendors, it has yet to significantly impact demand or drive early equipment upgrades. More investment is needed to raise consumer awareness and launch a 'must-have' feature to drive consumers to flock to stores to create the supercycle everyone is looking forward to.”
It is worth mentioning that globally, smartphone shipments have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. IDC expects limited growth in shipments over the next few years, with only low single-digit growth. The lengthening of the upgrade cycle, the saturation of developed market economies, and the rapid growth of second-hand smartphone transactions are seen as the main factors causing the market to stagnate.
