Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2024, a report has shown.
Apple and Samsung dominated the top 10 best-selling smartphones list during the same period, figures compiled by Counterpoint Research show.
The two manufacturers captured five positions each, leaving no spot for other brands.
This was the first quarter in which the top 10 smartphones were all 5G capable, Counterpoint said.
Three variants of the iPhone 15 took the top three spots, while another, the iPhone 15 Plus, was the eighth best seller.
The iPhone 14, in fourth position, was the other top performer for Apple, the rankings show.
Samsung's best performer was the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which was the fifth most sold phone in the quarter.
The base Galaxy S24 model came in ninth.
Three other Samsung models – the Galaxy A15 5G, Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 – placed sixth, seventh and tenth respectively.
“Consumers are holding onto their smartphones for longer periods because upgrades are offering limited differentiation in features,” Counterpoint Research said.
“This leads consumers to opt for high-end smartphones to ensure their devices remain technologically relevant for a longer duration.”
Global smartphone revenue hit a new high in the first quarter of 2024, led by Apple and higher sales in key regions around the world, a separate study this month by Counterpoint Research showed.
Revenue in the industry jumped 7 per cent to reach its highest level for a March quarter. However, Counterpoint did not provide estimates on the actual value of the revenue.
Smartphone manufacturers typically do not report a breakdown of their sales. Apple's iPhone sales in the first quarter are estimated at around $69.7 billion, according to industry analysts.
Apple commanded 41 per cent of first-quarter revenue as it also posted its highest first-quarter average selling price of $900, up from $880 a year ago, it added.
Samsung Electronics came in at second with an 18 per cent share, followed by Xiaomi and Oppo, with 6 per cent each, and Vivo with 4 per cent. The four companies’ ASPs were $336, $159, $257 and $211, respectively.
The trend towards premium was evident, with seven of the top 10 smartphones being in that category, with the wholesale price at $600 and above, Counterpoint said in its latest report.
“Going forward, we expect the top 10 best-selling smartphones to capture a larger share of total smartphone sales as original equipment manufacturers are focusing on leaner portfolios with premium features, including Generative AI,” the report added.
The Pro Max variant achieved the top position for the first time in Apple’s non-seasonal quarter, reflecting an increasing trend of consumer preference for high-end smartphones, the study found.
The growing popularity of the Apple Pro line-up was evident, as it captured half of Apple’s total sales in the first quarter of 2024, a significant increase from 24 per cent in the same period in 2020, according to Counterpoint research.
“The Pro iPhones have become major revenue drivers for Apple, contributing more than 60 per cent of its sales value in the first quarter of this year,” the consultancy said.
“The Pro line-up offers substantial upgrades and significant enhancements over the base models. This strategic move has proven successful, as consumers are willing to pay for premium features.”
Meanwhile, the strong performance of the S24 series can be attributed to Samsung’s early refresh of the series and its efforts in generative AI technology.
“The S24 series was the first to reach the market with GenAI features and capabilities, allowing users to create unique content and experience a new level of interaction with their smartphones,” the report said.
Best-selling smartphones in first quarter of 2024
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 14
- Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Galaxy A15 5G
- Galaxy A54
- iPhone 15 Plus
- Galaxy S24
- Galaxy A34
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
6pm: Liwa Oasis (PA) Group 2 | Dh300,000 | 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 (PA) Group 3 | Dh300,000 | 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
