Samsung

Samsung barely beats Apple in Q3 2024 shipments, total sales down

Andrew Romero | Nov 6 2024 - 7:23 am PT

Even through a self-proclaimed tough year, Samsung has managed to beat Apple in Q3 2024, yet again, in shipments made through a single quarter.

The year has been a big one for major OEMs. In Samsung’s case, Galaxy AI debuted on the Galaxy S24 series, and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 was announced and even followed up by an exclusive Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE model. Apple, on the other hand, has similarly distributed Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 and released the iPhone 16 series.

According to a report by Canalys, global Q3 2024 shipments increased by 5% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. Samsung saw a decrease in shipments by 2% in 2024, which still equates to 57.5 million shipments in Q3, beating Apple and it’s slightly lower 54.5 million shipments. Apple’s shipments rose by 9%, closing the gap between the two companies on the back of the iPhone 16 launch.

These numbers are not as far apart as one might think, given the scope of sales in general. That’s only a difference of 3 million, which is similar to what was seen in Q1 2024. The trend of two companies battling to sell more devices continues in 2024, and it likely won’t end anytime soon.

This comes as smartphone sales seem to be increasing at a steady pace after a large dropoff post-pandemic. Samsung’s 5% shipment increase is less impressive than the 12% seen year-over-year in Q2 2024. Still, growth is there and Samsung continues to battle Apple for market saturation.