Apple has lost its spot as the world’s biggest mobile phone seller after a sharp drop in sales, as South Korean rival Samsung regained the lead as the dominant competitor in the global market, reports The Guardian.

Samsung had been the biggest seller of mobile phones for 12 years until the end of 2023, when sales of Apple’s iPhone models overtook it.

Global smartphone shipments increased by 8% to 289.4 million units during January-March 2024, according to research firm IDC. Samsung won a 20.8% market share, beating Apple’s 17.3% share, which has been hurt by slowing sales in China.

IDC said that Apple shipped 50.1 million iPhones in the first quarter, down from the 55.4 million units it shipped in the same period in 2023. It was the biggest drop in iPhone sales since COVID-19 lockdowns caused global supply chain chaos in 2022.

In China, rivals including Xiaomi and Huawei have put pressure on Apple and Samsung. At the same time, China’s government has moved to ban devices made by foreign companies from workplaces.

However, Apple remains the dominant player at the top end of the global smartphone market, The Guardian said.