The latest data published by International Data Corporation (IDC) shows a resilient global smartphone market finally rebounding from the post-pandemic slump after two consecutive years. While affordable Android smartphones in particular have shown significant growth, Apple iPhones have failed to capitalize on this trend.

According to IDC’s forecasts, the global smartphone market is poised for significant growth; manufacturers expected to sell 1.24 billion devices in 2024; This shows a growth of 6.2 percent compared to last year. The main reason for this growth is the need to upgrade devices.

However, IDC predicts that growth will slow from 2025, reaching a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6 percent from 2023 to 2028. IDC says contributing factors include “increasing smartphone penetration, longer upgrade cycles, and headwinds from the rapidly growing pre-owned smartphone market.”

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In terms of operating systems, Android’s annual growth was 7.6 percent. The majority of sales are on affordable and low-cost Android devices, with a focus on APeJC (Asia Pacific excluding Japan and China), Latin America, Middle East and Africa, and China.

But iOS growth in 2024 is alarmingly low at just 0.4 percent. IDC says that while Apple products are gaining traction in India, the company still faces an uphill battle in China, Europe and the US. Meanwhile, IDC predicts 3.1 percent annual growth for iOS in 2025.

Despite the industry’s focus on AI, IDC believes that generative AI has not yet had a significant impact on smartphone demand. According to the agency, companies still need to make consumers aware of GenAI and add more significant AI features to their devices to encourage more users to buy an AI-powered smartphone.

“For now, we expect GenAI smartphones to take their place among premium flagship devices and continue to move down price tiers to rapidly grow to 70% of the smartphone market by 2028,” IDC said. he added.