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

Google is testing a fixed header feature in the Play Store that will make installing apps easier. This feature will keep essential app details including the app icon, name, developer, average rating, and an Install button visible while users scroll.

At the moment, app listings can be quite long, filled with important information such as reviews and safety data on Play Store. While this helps users be informed about apps, it often means the Install button is far down the page. This long listing makes it hard for users to download the app by tapping on the Install button.

With the new fixed header, the Install button will always be within reach, no matter how much you scroll. This new feature has been spotted on Google Play Store v43.1.19, thanks to AsssembleDebug (via Android Authority).

The new code shows that the header will stick to the top of the screen. This will allow users to quickly install an app or choose to install it on devices.

By keeping the Install button visible at all times, Google aims to improve user experience and help developers who are advised to create detailed app descriptions.

The fixed header feature of Google Play Store will make it simpler for users to install apps with detailed information. As the Google Play Store continues to evolve, these changes make the app experience better for everyone.

Google App bringing back Material 3 design for bottom bar

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