3 smartphone companies make Apple worried

According to research firm IDC, iPhone sales dropped nearly 10% in the first quarter of this year. That means Samsung has regained the smartphone throne from Apple in terms of shipments. While iFan remains famously loyal, IDC's report suggests that could change as competition heats up.

3 smartphone companies make Apple worried Picture 1

Here are three names that are threatening Apple's position:

Xiaomi

On the Fortune Global 500 list, Xiaomi ranked 360th, higher than Netflix and Uber. The company's latest flagship - Mi 14 - received strong support in its home country of China. Xiaomi is also behind the popular Redmi Note series of phones.

According to Reuters , Xiaomi is the 5th largest phone manufacturer in China, behind Vivo, Huawei, Honor and Apple in terms of market share. However, the company also has a solid presence in international markets, especially India.

Xiaomi does not sell smartphones in the US, partly due to political concerns, according to IDC researcher Nabila Popal. Responding to the Android Central blog in 2022, Mr. Popal said that, after witnessing what happened to Huawei, no Chinese company wants to risk making large investments in a market that can ban them at any time.

Xiaomi also sells electric cars. The debut model Speed ​​Ultra 7 or SU7 shows that Xiaomi succeeds in an area where Apple failed. In the first quarter of 2024, Xiaomi smartphone sales increased by 33.8%, firmly ranked third globally.

Transsion

Transsion produces smartphone brands Tecno, Itel and Infinix. Although not famous in the West, Transsion is popular in Africa thanks to its super cheap devices, according to IDC.

Transsion's presence in Africa is bolstered in part by the Digital Silk Road, which is part of China's Belt and Road initiative, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Its phones have multiple SIM slots, allowing people to switch between networks easily. Their keyboard also supports African languages.

Recently, Transsion introduced Techno Phantom V, a folding phone model quite similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z.

Samsung

Samsung is the iPhone's archrival. Galaxy S24 is one of the most popular Android phones. The Korean electronics company also has the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Fold folding devices. Currently, the company is aiming to integrate many AI functions into the Galaxy line.

In addition to smartphones, Samsung also sells home appliances and TVs. Recently, the company introduced the Galaxy Ring smart ring.

In the first quarter, Samsung surpassed Apple to become the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, even as sales dropped 1%.

Lesley Montoya

Update 17 April 2024