#global smartphone market 2024

The global smartphone market continued its growth streak in Q4 2024, but at a slower pace, with shipments rising by just 3% reaching 330 million units, according to Canalys. Looking at the full year, global smartphone shipments reached 1.22 billion units, up by 7% from the previous year. Canalys Analyst Le Xuan Chiew explained that Apple’s performance in 2024 was driven by its strength in emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia, where it expanded its presence through better channel coverage and robust marketing. The year also saw mass-market devices playing a key role in driving global growth, as Android brands such as Xiaomi, Transsion, and vivo benefitted from well-established channel networks, competitive pricing, and effective inventory management. Looking ahead to 2025, Zhu claims that “It will be challenging to replicate the market performance of 2024 in 2025.” The growth in 2024 was largely driven by inventory replenishment and a recovery in certain markets. Furthermore, regional brands are likely to expand their reach, which could reduce the dominance of the top global players in the market. These 0:16are smartphone myths, plus some straight 0:18up marketing fluff that brands keep 0:20pushing like they actually matter. In our latest video, we're putting on our detective hats and calling out the smartphone myths and marketing tricks you absolutely should not fall for in 2026. Read more in our articles including "Apple maintains lead in global smartphone market for Q4 2024 –Canalys" and "Watch: DO NOT Fall for These Smartphone Marketing in 2026".