• 10 - Samsung Galaxy A34 Photo: Samsung
    10 - Samsung Galaxy A34 Photo: Samsung
  • 9 - Galaxy S24 Photo: Reuters
    9 - Galaxy S24 Photo: Reuters
  • 8 - iPhone 15 Plus Photo: Bloomberg
    8 - iPhone 15 Plus Photo: Bloomberg
  • 7 - Samsung Galaxy A54 Photo: Samsung
    7 - Samsung Galaxy A54 Photo: Samsung
  • 6 - Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Photo: Samsung
    6 - Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Photo: Samsung
  • 5 - Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Photo: Bloomberg
    5 - Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Photo: Bloomberg
  • 4 - iPhone 14 Photo: Reuters
    4 - iPhone 14 Photo: Reuters
  • 3 - iPhone 15 Pro Photo: Reuters
    3 - iPhone 15 Pro Photo: Reuters
  • 2 - iPhone 15 Photo: AFP
    2 - iPhone 15 Photo: AFP
  • 1 - iPhone 15 Pro Max Photo: Bloomberg
    1 - iPhone 15 Pro Max Photo: Bloomberg

The 10 best-selling smartphones in the first quarter of 2024


Deepthi Nair
  • English
  • Arabic

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

  1. iPhone 15 Pro Max
  2. iPhone 15
  3. iPhone 15 Pro
  4. iPhone 14
  5. Galaxy S24 Ultra
  6. Galaxy A15 5G
  7. Galaxy A54
  8. iPhone 15 Plus
  9. Galaxy S24
  10. Galaxy A34
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

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Name: Rain Management

Year started: 2017

Based: Bahrain

Employees: 100-120

Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund

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Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm

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Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km

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Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm

Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh317,671

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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

 Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: N2 Technology

Founded: 2018

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Startups

Size: 14

Funding: $1.7m from HNIs

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

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Japan 30-10 Russia

Tries: Matsushima (3), Labuschange | Golosnitsky

Conversions: Tamura, Matsuda | Kushnarev

Penalties: Tamura (2) | Kushnarev

yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

W.
Wael Kfoury
(Rotana)

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MATCH INFO

Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')

Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')

Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)

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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

The Lowdown

Kesari

Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

 

JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO

Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday 

Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD

PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s: 
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's: 
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Friday's schedule in Madrid

Men's quarter-finals

Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time

Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm

Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm

Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm

Women's semi-finals

Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm

Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

Du Football Champions

The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

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Updated: May 14, 2024, 7:08 AM