Smartphone sales grow thanks to Android

1.24 billion new smartphones will have been delivered worldwide in 2024, according to market researchers from IDC. That is an increase of 6.2 percent. The global market shrank in the previous two years. Demand for new devices has built up, allowing the market to grow this year, says IDC.

However, this backlog will be reduced, meaning that market researchers expect significantly lower growth rates in the coming years. Firstly, almost everyone who can afford a smartphone already has one, secondly, the devices last longer than before and thirdly, the second-hand market is becoming increasingly important.

Not least because more and more network operators prefer to lease cell phones rather than sell them. Customers pay for new cell phones, which they have to return in good condition after a certain period of time. The network operator can then earn more money from the same device.

Android is in demand

This year's growth is almost exclusively attributable to Android smartphones, of which 7.6% more are being delivered. This growth is particularly strong in regions outside Europe, Japan and North America. In the case of iPhones, the report sees only 0.4% more devices sold than in 2023. Although Apple could make significant gains in India, for example, there would be setbacks in the People's Republic of China, the USA and Europe.

However, iPhones are expected to be the driving force as early as 2025 (+3.1%). According to the forecast, the Android market will also continue to grow, but at a slower rate (+1.7%). Other cell phone operating systems do not yet play a significant role, which Huawei hopes to change with its new smartphone series Mate[ ]70
hopes to change.

Incidentally, the hype surrounding foldable smartphones is waning: Their sales figures actually fell by 7.4 percent in the third quarter. Chinese manufacturers in particular have dedicated themselves to this market segment. According to IDC, there is still an increase of 10.5% for the year as a whole, and double-digit growth is expected to continue over the next few years. However, Chinese manufacturers have shifted their focus away from folding devices and towards cell phones with generative artificial intelligence.

IDC has also published average net sales prices. For new Android smartphones this year, it is 295 US dollars, 14 dollars more than two years ago. For new iPhones, it is 1,042 dollars, 46 dollars more. IDC expects prices to fall slightly in the coming years, to an average of 287 dollars for Android smartphones and 1,001 dollars for iPhones.

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