Worldwide smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 4.0 percent in 2024 to 1.21 billion units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
The worldwide smartphone market will achieve 2.3 percent growth in 2025, IDC said. The smartphone market will be achieving low single-digit growth for the rest of the forecast period, resulting in a five-year compound annual growth rate of 2.3 percent, IDC said.
Android smartphone market is expected to grow significantly at 4.8 percent compared to 0.7 percent for Apple iOS.
“The rapid growth of Android is coming off a tough two years, while iOS’s softer growth is due to a strong 2023 and increasing competition in China that is denting its growth potential,” Nabila Popal, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker Team, said in a news statement.
If Apple makes a strong move around its AI strategy for iPhones, demonstrating clear use cases, it could accelerate the growth for Apple and revamp demand for iPhones, especially in China.
5G smartphones will achieve nearly 16 percent growth in 2024 as adoption continues to expand across all regions and markets.
In 2025, 5G smartphones will grow 13.2 percent as 5G market share will climb to 74.4 percent, up from 67.2 percent in 2024.
“With 5G saturation in most developed markets, the growth of 5G in emerging markets will play a central role in driving shipments throughout the forecast period,” said Anthony Scarsella, research director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
The IDC report did not mention about the contribution of AI smartphones during the resurgence of the smartphone business.
