Samsung and Apple had neck-and-neck in the Q3 2024 smartphone market reports Canalys. The market research firm recently published its analysis for the quarter ended on September 30. The data shows an alarming situation for both Samsung and Apple.

Canalys reports that both Samsung and Apple secured 18% market share in Q3 2024. Xiaomi ranked third with a 14% market share in the same period. The Chinese firm grew 1% year-over-year, similar to Apple, while Samsung declined 3%.

Researchers note that it’s the highest market share Apple achieved against the leading firm in the third quarter. The company’s flagships were released in late September, with merely 3 days of sales have been counted in during the period.

The impact of the iPhone 16 series will be seen in the current quarter. iPhone 15 and other iPhone models managed to rank Apple second in a neck-to-neck fight with Samsung. The Korean tech giant declined from 21% in 2023 to 18% in 2024.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in July this year. The company’s flagship foldable phones just kept it away from getting beaten by Apple. The iPhone maker grew significantly in its unusual timeframe viz. Q3.

Xiaomi was a comfortable third place with 14% of the market. OPPO (9%) and vivo (9%) rounded out the top five. The top two positions are highly likely to be shuffled in the next report on the smartphone market in the fourth quarter of the year.

“Apple achieved its highest third-quarter volume to date and has never been closer to leading the global smartphone market in a Q3 than now,” Canalys analyst Runar Bjørhovde was quoted as saying.

Canalys Q3 2024 Global Smartphone Market Report 🚨

Neck-to-neck fight between Samsung and Apple

Samsung 18% 👑
Apple 18% 🏃‍♂️
Xiaomi 14% 🥉

All the best Samsung for the fourth quarter 🚀#Samsung #Apple #Xiaomi #OPPO #vivo pic.twitter.com/6jltXYvbmB

— Samsung One UI Software Updates #OneUI7 #OneUI (@SamSWUpdate) October 15, 2024

As per official confirmation from Samsung, the Android 15-based One UI 7.0 Beta program has been delayed until late 2024. I wanted to see how the Samsung Galaxy phone owners feel about this wait.

As a writer and proud Samsung Galaxy device owner, I recently conducted a poll on X (previously known as Twitter) that sparked quite a conversation among the Team Galaxy: “Can you switch to another brand just because Samsung delayed the One UI 7.0 beta program?” The results were telling — over 75% of participants voted ‘No‘, indicating a strong brand loyalty that persists even in the current situation. The poll result shows that the delay hasn’t turned away the majority of Galaxy users.

Note: The poll was small but it proved the point that the Galaxy phone users are loyal despite the delayed One UI 7.0 beta program. Check the post below.

There’s a different poll by another X user, who asked a similar question, where a bigger audience participated. It also produced the almost same result. You can check the post below.

It proves that Team Galaxy is strong and loyal to the brand. For the reader, who is not aware of the current progress, Samsung was expected to release the One UI 7.0 beta program by end of the July 2024.

However, Samsung decided to delay this beta program, without any official reason for this decision. As per discussion in the tech community and social media groups, Samsung is working on the stability and the integration of new features, which has significantly changed its update timelines this year.

Read More:

• Here’s why delaying the One UI 7.0 Beta Program is good for Samsung Galaxy users
• Why I will skip the first One UI 7.0 beta on my Galaxy S24 Ultra

Apple doesn’t want to enter the Samsung-led foldables market without technological uniqueness. The company has been absent from the rapidly growing foldable segment, which recently welcomed a triple foldable handset from Huawei.

According to Kipost, Apple is seeking its own supply chain of ultra-thin glass technology. The company desires to have its own control over some particular aspects. The move is to differentiate technological innovation from Samsung.

Samsung is expected to supply OLED panels for foldable Apple products. Ultra-thin glass, which is a crucial component in foldable screens, is largely controlled by Samsung D. The reason is the company’s saturation in the international market.

Apple doesn’t reportedly want everything to be done by display manufacturers. If it happens, the company won’t have anything to differentiate its product from rivals. The desire is necessary as Apple is already too late in the market.

Apart from ultra-thin glass, the US tech giant is looking to attain control over supply chain management too. The company is also exploring backplate technology, to ensure critical areas of demonization without any hurry.

UTG is a key material used in foldable displays, which is responsible for flexibility and durability. Backplate in foldable devices often refers to the component that supports the display, which should be durable for long-lasting products.

The report suggests Apple wants uniqueness in two crucial materials—UTG and backplates. This means Samsung Display won’t be able to breathe freely even after being the main foldable panel supplier for Apple’s future foldable devices.