A new report suggests that while Apple is still dominant in the smartphone industry, the Android brands are closer behind than ever before. We’ve only got details for the first half of 2024, but the information reveals that there are two Android devices, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and A15, in the top five. That’s an improvement from last year, when only the Samsung Galaxy A14 featured in the top five.
The new report is courtesy of Omdia, via Android Authority, and lists the top ten smartphones globally. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max sits at the top of the charts, just like the iPhone 14 Pro Max did last year, with the base version of the phone in second place. Third is the Samsung Galaxy A15, one of the best Samsung phones of 2024 for budget phone fans, while the iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra sit in fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Samsung isn’t the only Android brand that has had a stellar 2024 so far, with the Xiaomi Redmi 13C popping up in eighth on the chart thanks to 11.8 million sales. Those are the only two Android manufacturers to make the list, though, with Google Pixel, Motorola, Huawei, and OnePlus all missing out. Honestly, we’re surprised to not see Huawei make the cut given the brand’s popularity in China, but a more low-key global presence is still seemingly holding back the brand responsible for some of the best foldable phones on the market.
While this report should make for jubilant reading at Samsung HQ, it’s not great news for Apple. The iPhone 14 Pro Max shifted over 26 million units in the first half of 2023, while this year’s chart-topping iPhone 15 Pro Max only moved 21.8 million units. There’s also much less to separate the top-selling iPhone and Samsung. Last year, the difference between the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy A14 was over 14 million. In the first six months of 2024, only 4.5 million units separate the two, with Samsung’s budget phone hot on the heels of Apple’s premium flagship.
It’s worth mentioning that even though the report might make for fascinating reading, Apple often sells more phones in the second half of the year, thanks to new launches in September and the holiday season. However, given that we already know that iPhone 16 sales are slightly down on both last year’s iPhone 15 sales and what Apple had anticipated, it’ll be interesting to see the results this time next year. Can the introduction of Apple Intelligence boost iPhone sales? Or could the delay to Apple’s AI features push users into checking out the best Android phones? We’ll have to wait and see.