Apple's (AAPL, Financial) smartphone shipments experienced a notable increase in the third quarter, driven by robust demand for its flagship devices and the launch of the AI-enabled iPhone 16 series. Preliminary data from research firm IDC indicates that Apple's iPhone shipments rose by 3.5% year-over-year, reaching 56 million units, maintaining a market share of 17.7%.
IDC highlighted that older models, particularly the iPhone 15, saw exceptional sales performance, attributed to extensive promotions and the company's marketing efforts focusing on Apple Intelligence. With the holiday season approaching, iPhone sales are expected to continue growing as consumers look to upgrade to new AI-driven smartphones.
Overall, global smartphone shipments increased by 4.0% in the third quarter, reaching 316.1 million units. Despite a 2.8% decrease in shipments to 57.8 million units, Samsung Electronics retained its position as the world's largest smartphone seller.
