What you need to know
- Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra ranks fifth among the most shipped high-end smartphones globally.
- Apple’s iPhone takes the top four spots as the company continues to be quite dominant.
- Only one foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 4, made the list which rounded out the top 10.
Higher-end smartphone sales in the industry have seemingly grown so far as we’ve wrapped up Q1 2023 and a well-known Android phone is leading the charge.
According to a report by Canalys, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra was the most shipped Android phone around the world but still came in fifth place when looking at phones priced at $500 and over in Q1 2023 (via 9to5Google). The four top-selling phones around the world are all Apple devices, as the Cupertino-based company’s iPhone 14 Pro Max, 14 Pro, 14, and iPhone 13 rank above Samsung’s recent Ultra model.
High-end($500 and above) smartphones bucked the global trend by growing 4.7% YoY, exceeding 1/3 of worldwide shipments in Q1 2023. pic.twitter.com/FfVA1sYgqkMay 29, 2023
Canalys’ report stated that in Q1 2023, high-end smartphones priced at $500 or more grew YoY (year over year) by 4.7%. High-end smartphones also accounted for over one-third of the total worldwide shipments in the first quarter. However, this growth in the premium segment has been soured by the overall trend of smartphone shipments decreasing by 13.3% so far this year.
Surprisingly, the only foldable on this list is Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 as it rounded out the top ten for the most shipped high-end Android phones in Q1. The base Galaxy S23 model came in seventh and the S23 Plus ranked ninth. The Xiaomi 13 and the Huawei Mate 50 managed to make it into the top fifteen high-end smartphones in the world, as well, ranking thirteen and fourteen, respectively.
An earlier preliminary report by Canalys back in April showed Samsung taking the top spot from Apple when it came to overall smartphone shipments and growth worldwide. Samsung was able to grasp 22% of the total global market share for 2023’s first quarter with Apple hot on its heels at 21%.
The performance of the Galaxy S23 Ultra highlighted Samsung’s positive Q1 2023 performance in its earnings report. However, the Korean smartphone manufacturer has grappled with a drop in profit due to the lack of demand for semiconductors. Because of this softer demand, it’s been rumored Samsung is eyeing an earlier Unpacked event date for the launch of its next wave of foldable phones.
An earlier launch date would mean the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 would land in consumers’ hands earlier on to help the company gain a headstart on 2023’s third quarter.
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra has raised the bar for what a sophisticated, powerful can look like and how it can perform. The Korean OEM’s latest Ultra model can deliver swift performance and strong graphics for endless scrolling and gaming. Consider its 200MP main camera whenever life is just too perfect to let slip away.
