Samsung is leading the race as Apple loses its top phone maker position since iPhone shipments shot down in the first quarter of 2024. 

The first quarter of 2024 has already passed, as per the metrics of Apple (AAPL). Smartphone shipments shot down nearly 10%; it is being speculated that intensifying competition by Android smartphone makers aiming for the top spot is causing this, according to data from research firm IDC. 

Global smartphone shipments rose 7.8% to 289.4 million units during the first quarter from January to March, at 20.8% market share, clinching the top phone maker spot from Apple. 

Apple’s iPhone sales started shooting down sharply after going through a tough quarter. It even overtook Samsung as the world’s number one phone maker, but unfortunately, it has fallen back to second place with 17.3% market share as Chinese brands such as Huawei gain market share. 

Xiaomi was in the third position with a 14.1% share during the first quarter. One of the key reasons behind Apple losing its first position is Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series, which launched earlier this year, and the brand has shipped more than 60 million units of the Galaxy S24 within the first quarter. 

Global sales of Galaxy S24 smartphones boosted by 8% as compared to their predecessor Galaxy S23 series in their first three weeks of availability, data provider Counterpoint previously said. As per the metrics of the first quarter, Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones, down from the 55.4 million units it shipped in the same period last year, according to IDC. 

Whereas, Apple’s smartphone shipments in China shrank 2.1% in the final quarter of 2023 as compared to 2022. iPhone sales collapsed in China, which is Apple’s third-biggest market. This decline is partly because of restrictions placed on Apple devices by a few Chinese brands and also government agencies, mirroring the same actions the US government has taken against Chinese applications. Apple will hold its WWDC in June to introduce software updates for its devices.

Samsung’s Galaxy AI-enabled Galaxy S24 series hit the market earlier this year in January and within no time broke down its predecessors’ pre-order record, and AI features were the key reason behind it setting a new sales record. 

The Galaxy S24 features high-end specs, decent design, brand-new features, and many more, but the Galaxy AI features are the novelty of the smartphone, which attracts people to go for the Galaxy S24 device. The recent metrics collected by Worldpanel ComTech reveal that one out of four Galaxy S24 purchasers in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, the USA, and Australia stated that AI was a chief reason they chose Samsung’s new AI-enabled smartphone despite its lengthy price. 

Here we are mentioning the percentage of Galaxy S24 owners who bought the device just to experience a specific Galaxy AI feature: 

• 28% of users wanted to use the interpreter. 
• 24% wanted to use the AI camera and gallery enhancements. 
• 17% wanted to experience Circle to Search 

Samsung is the first brand to promote, highlight, and advertise AI features as a key component of a new high-end smartphone on the market, despite having dozens of high-end features and key specs. 

Now the giants are looking forward to bringing Galaxy AI features to older devices. Although Samsung has introduced Galaxy AI features for free, on the official Galaxy AI page, the terms and conditions mention that these features are only available for free until 2025, which means that Galaxy AI features will not stay free forever. On the other hand, it is actively working to offer more advanced AI features for free. 

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Samsung earlier this year debuted its Galaxy S24 flagship series. Now fans are eagerly waiting for the fan edition of this series, called Galaxy S24 FE, to be in the line! 

Samsung, especially for fans who prefer high-end phones but have a budget, introduces a special variant called ‘Fan Edition (FE).’ Now the reports are saying that the Galaxy S24 FE could arrive with the same SoC and rear camera arrangement as the Galaxy S24+ but in a smaller package since it’s a bit budget-able as compared to that. 

Galaxy S24 FE: Expected Specs 

It is expected that the forthcoming Galaxy S24 FE will feature the Exynos 2400 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the same chips that can run the Galaxy S24. If the reports are to be believed, then the Galaxy S24 FE could feature a 6.1-inch AMOLED panel as opposed to the 6.2-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X panel on the Galaxy S24. 

Samsung is already actively working on mass-producing driver chips for the forthcoming Galaxy S24 FE model, as it aims to be in millions of units. It is also reported that this time Samsung may also use the latest display technology, along with a minimalistic bezel, FHD+ resolution, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and a higher peak brightness of up to 1700+ nits for the forthcoming Galaxy S24 FE. The camera arrangement could include a 50 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8 MP The battery power may count to 4,5000 mAh. 

Galaxy S24 FE: Expected Price and Launch 

Since FE variants are a little more budgeable than the original variant, it is expected that the Galaxy S24 FE could be priced under the $720 segment. On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 was launched starting at $960. 

Last year, Samsung debuted the Galaxy S23 FE variant in October, so given this prospect, it is expected that the forthcoming Galaxy S24 FE could arrive in nearly October this summer.