Kantar’s ComTech Q3 2024 Smartphone Operating System (OS) data reveals global sales volumes are largely flat, dropping -2% year on year. The decline is driven by weaker demand in Mainland China and Japan. Other insights from the third quarter of 2024 include:
- Strong growth in Smartphone sales in the US (+21%), Europe’s top five markets (+13%) and Australia (+19%).
- iPhone 15 series continues to be the most popular Smartphone range globally.
- Samsung remains the top-selling Android brand, despite losing sales share across all markets.
- Domestic brand Sharp overtook Google Pixel as the top seller in Japan and Huawei reclaims its position as the top selling brand in China for the first time in over three years.
- The rise of AI as a competitive edge: Apple enters the AI race with launch of Apple Intelligence.
Year-on-year market growth, by region
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Top-selling devices
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Global Smartphone sales surge in Q3
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Europe’s top five markets – France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Spain – all saw growth in Smartphone sales volumes growth compared to the previous year.
- Samsung remains the top-selling Android brand, despite losing sales share across all markets. Its latest foldable models, the Galaxy Flip 6 and Galaxy Fold 6, account for 5% of its total sales.
- Google Pixel ranked as the third-best-selling Android Smartphone in Europe, accounting for 5% of total Smartphone sales. Early Pixel 9 sales data indicates that the newer Pixel 9 Pro XL is the most popular choice of the Pixel 9 series.
- Apple sales share remains stable, maintaining its second spot in Europe. Early iPhone 16 data indicates that the iPhone 16 Pro is the best-selling model.
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The US smartphone market growth remains strong with a +21% year-on-year uplift in sales volumes.
- Apple is the top selling manufacturer, with a +1% points year-on-year sales share uplift. Early iPhone 16 data indicates that the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the top selling iPhone 16 model.
- Samsung faced a challenging quarter, with a -6% points year-on-year decline in sales share. The Galaxy A15 is Samsung’s top selling model, followed by Flagship Galaxy S24+.
- Google Pixel remains the third-bestselling Android Smartphone. Early Pixel 9 sales data indicates that the newer Pixel 9 Pro XL is the most popular choice of the Pixel 9 series.
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Across the Asia Pacific region, performance varies. Appetite has increased in Australia, driving a +19% increase in sales volumes, while demand weakened in Mainland China and Japan, down -23% and -16% respectively, year-on-year.
- In Mainland China Android retained the top spot OS, gaining +2% points sales share year-on-year, while Apple’s iOS decreased by -2% points.
- Huawei has reclaimed its position as the top selling brand in China for the first time in over three years, driven by its latest release, the Pura 70, a rebrand of its P Series.
- Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max remains the top-selling model.
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In Japan, Android grew its sales share by +2% points year on year.
- Domestic brand Sharp overtook Google Pixel as the top seller, with the Aquos Wish3 as its top-selling Sharp.
- Google Pixel sales share declined by -7% points year-on-year. Early Pixel 9 sales data indicates that the Pixel 9 (base) is the most popular choice of the series.
- Oppo and Xiaomi experienced strong sales share growth, +3% points and +4% points respectively.
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Australia has seen a strong Android performance, with sales share jumping +5% points year on year.
- Apple is the top selling smartphone, despite a -6% points sales share decline. Early iPhone 16 data indicates that the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the top selling model of the iPhone 16 series.
- Samsung remains the top selling Android brand. Its latest foldables – the Galaxy Flip and Fold 6 - account for 7% of its total sales.
- Google Pixel sales share remains steady holding its position as second-best-selling Android manufacturer. Early Pixel 9 sales data indicates that the newer Pixel 9 Pro XL is the most popular choice among the Pixel 9 series.
Apple officially enters the Artificial Intelligence (AI) race with Apple Intelligence
On October 28th, Apple released its first wave of Apple Intelligence features, which include email and notification summarisations, photo cleanup (providing the ability to remove objects from images), and a smarter, more conversational Siri. Apple is adopting a cautious approach to its AI roll-out, prioritising security and responsibility – with full acknowledgement it’s at least a decade-long endeavour.
This is in direct contrast to Google Pixel, which has been heavily leveraging AI in its Pixel 9 Series launch and throughout its US sponsorship of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This is reflected in consumer behaviour with 12% of Google Pixel buyers citing AI as a key reason why they chose their phone vs 5% of the market average (statistically significant at 95% confidence interval).
Commentating on the latest OS data, Jack Hamlin, Global Consumer Insights Director at Worldpanel Division, Kantar, said: “Despite Pixel consumers stating AI as a key reason for choosing their phone, there has been no discernible uplift in Google Pixel sales share compared to the previous year. This suggests that while AI features help retain consumers within a brand ecosystem, they may not necessarily drive new sales.”
Manufacturers face two core challenges in successful AI adoption. The first is convincing consumers that AI features are necessary in improving their everyday Smartphone experience. The second, greater challenge, is educating consumers on what AI is and the role that it plays.
Kantar’s Worldpanel will continue to track the impact of AI on consumer behaviour across its global longitudinal panels, providing insights into successful AI product innovations, AI motivated consumers, and original equipment manufacturers winners and losers.
Contact our experts for further information, and access our interactive data visualisation tool to see the Smartphone OS shares market evolution.
