Apple topped the sales charts for global smartphones in the first quarter, the first time it has done so in a first quarter, with 19 percent of the worldwide market, according to figures from Counterpoint.

The company received a sales boost from the launch of the iPhone 16e and strong sales in emerging markets.

The iPhone 16e was announced in February to replace the iPhone SE. Both models are priced to be relatively affordable, with the iPhone 16e starting at £599 in the UK.

Regional disparity

Apple saw flat or declining sales in the US, Europe and China, where it faces strong competition from Huawei and others.

But it reached double-digit growth in Japan, India, the Middle East and Africa and Southeast Asia.

Samsung followed in second place with 18 percent of the market, a descent from 21 percent in the first quarter of 2023.

The South Korean company’s sales were hindered by the late launch of its S25 series, but sales picked up in March, Counterpoint said.

China’s Xiaomi continued its sales momentum to take third place with 14 percent of the market, up from 13 percent a year earlier.

The company’s sales received a boost in its home market from the launch of Xiaomi-branded electric vehicles, Counterpoint said.

Economic turmoil

Vivo and Oppo rounded out the top five, according to the research firm’s figures.

The overall smartphone market grew 3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, but Counterpoint said it has revised its forecast to project a slight decline for the full year amidst economic uncertainties.

Economic volatility could lead consumers to postpone smartphone purchases, which could disrupt the supply chain and increase trade risks, the firm said.

Apple last week reportedly chartered cargo planes to airlift some 600 tonnes of iPhones to the US from India to avoid potential tariffs, but the White House later said smartphones and other electronics would be exempt from import duties.